Community & Economic Development Archives

E303: Amy Beros on centering community in food banking

June 10, 2026

North Carolina is one of the nation’s top agricultural producing states. And it is also a state where one in seven residents don’t have the resources to provide food on their table every day. Today, I’m talking with Amy Beros, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina – the state’s largest food bank. Each year, this organization provides 95 million meals distributed through more than 700 partner agencies, food pantries, congregate meal sites, backpack programs. And they do this in 34 counties in the state. In our conversation today, we will explore the policy issues that this food bank and many food banks face.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | North Carolina | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

E300: Tackling Food and Nutrition Systems Change at the Kellogg Foundation

June 2, 2026

Way back in 1930, breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg founded the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to act as an independent philanthropic force helping America’s children thrive. Working across the country, the Kellogg Foundation partners with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work, and life. A big part of the work focuses on food access and nutrition for kids and their families. Today we’re speaking with Jon-Paul Bianchi, the Kellogg Foundation’s Director of Systems Change.

E294: Liberatory Agriculture in Afterlives of the Plantation

March 26, 2026

In 1881, African American educator and political leader Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school’s mission was to provide practical education and vocational training in fields such as agriculture and mechanics to African Americans in the post-Reconstruction South. Tuskegee ultimately became a world-renowned agricultural and industrial school for African Americans – and actually for all people. Today, we’re speaking with Duke University’s Jarvis McInnis about his award-winning book Afterlives of the Plantation: Plotting Agrarian Futures in the Global Black South.

Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | History & Food |

E293: From Truffles to Trash – Lessons on Food Waste Prevention

March 19, 2026

Over the last several years, I have been thinking about food waste and food loss a lot. It’s been a topic that we’ve seen in many spaces in the US and around the world. And it’s interesting to compare how the US handles food waste with other countries. To that end, we will learn more about how Belgium addresses food waste in a conversation with an anthropologist and journalist, Dr. Kelly Alexander from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her book, Truffles and Trash: Recirculating Food in a Social Welfare State, explores community driven solutions and policy around food waste. And Belgium’s capital city of Brussells.

E283: Taylor Hanson’s Food On The Move

September 24, 2025

Today we’re joined by Tulsa, Oklahoma, native Taylor Hanson, who at age nine with two of his brothers formed the band Hanson. Within five years, they released their initial album there were Grammy nominations and one of their songs hit number one in 27 countries. But more pertinent to our discussion today is Taylor’s commitment to social change, which includes work he’s done on extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and the nonprofit grassroots organization addressing food insecurity he founded called Food On The Move. Food On The Move provides access, education and innovative solutions to transform food deserts and the legacy issues created by food insecurity. Since its founding, this organization has distributed millions of pounds of fresh produce to members of the Oklahoma community as a leader in the movement to reshape sustainable local food systems.

E282: Are healthy, environmentally sustainable diets economically achievable for everyone?

September 17, 2025

In today’s episode, we’re discussing the complex and urgent topic of global food demand. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, ask countries to make measurable progress in reducing poverty, achieving zero hunger, and supporting every individual in realizing good health. While also mitigating climate change, sustaining the environment and responsible consumption and production habits. Researchers have recommended sustainable diets – planetary health diets. For example, the Eat Lancet Planetary Health Diet. However, others have criticized some of these diets for not addressing the economic and social impacts of transitioning to such diets. Is it possible to balance changing diets, rising incomes, and economic growth with economic feasibility, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability? Well, that’s what our goals are today. Our guests today are Andrew Muhammad of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, and Emiliano Lopez Barrera from Texas A&M. They are my co-authors on a new paper in the Annual Review of Resource Economics entitled Global Food Demand: overcoming Challenges to Healthy and Sustainable Diets.

E268: Why Corporate Control of Agriculture is Cause for Concern

March 26, 2025

How big is too big? When it comes to corporate concentration many observers raise concerns about the tech industry. However, in the new book, Titans of Industrial Agriculture: how a few giant corporations came to dominate the farm sector and why it matters, political economist Jennifer Clapp draws attention to the overwhelming shadow a small handful of transnational corporations cast over the global agricultural sector. Professor Clapp argues that these corporations hold concentrated power over the agricultural sector that keep industrial agricultural practices entrenched in patterns of production, despite the concerns of the social, ecological and health impacts to society. She explains how we got to this point and what it might take to make changes. Jennifer’s work at the intersection of the global economy, food security, and food systems, and the natural environment, looks specifically at issues of global governance. She is currently a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

E267: Nzatu uses bees and ancient grains to uplift African farmers

March 24, 2025

The climate crisis is devastating the ability of African farmers to support themselves and their communities. Farmers struggle with a lack of running water, electricity, communications, and public transportation. Entire communities are often cut off from the larger world, exacerbating and extending the poverty crisis that grips large parts of the continent. To overcome these issues, our guest, Gwen Jones, co-founded Nzatu Food Group, a regenerative agriculture business designed to protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change. Nzatu Food Group has done some remarkable pioneering work. Gwen is connected to 15,000 Sub-Saharan farmers across 15 countries through beekeeping, sustainable agricultural and conservation training, and by building an increasingly international market for farm products.

E266: What’s next for school meal quality?

March 13, 2025

The food and nutrition landscape in our schools is really important. School meals affect the health, wellbeing, energy, vitality, and ability to learn for millions and millions of children. And for those whose family struggled to buy food, the importance of school meals cannot be overstated. This makes decisions about what foods are served in schools and where they come from. Highly consequential and raises issues about national and state nutrition policies, the influence of big food companies in shaping this picture and lots more. It’s a good time to unravel all this, which we can do today. Thanks to two experts with us. Dr. Marlene Schwartz is Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy health at the University of Connecticut. Mara Fleishman is CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, where she has been a leader advancing school food change, advocating for scratch cook meals that promote children’s health and for more sustainable food systems.

E264: Citizen engagement in post-Brexit UK food and farming policy

February 17, 2025

Today we’re exploring civil society’s efforts to shape the food system and land use in the United Kingdom. Our guest today is Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive of the Food, Farming, and Countryside Commission (FFCC). The deeply grassroots work of the commission brings people together to find practical solutions to climate, nature, and health challenges. The goal is to shape fairer and more sustainable food systems and a just transition for rural communities and the countryside.

Podcast Topic: Community & Economic Development

The Leading Voices in Food

Podcast Topic: Community & Economic Development

E303: Amy Beros on centering community in food banking

E300: Tackling Food and Nutrition Systems Change at the Kellogg Foundation

E294: Liberatory Agriculture in Afterlives of the Plantation

E293: From Truffles to Trash – Lessons on Food Waste Prevention

E283: Taylor Hanson’s Food On The Move

E282: Are healthy, environmentally sustainable diets economically achievable for everyone?

E268: Why Corporate Control of Agriculture is Cause for Concern

E267: Nzatu uses bees and ancient grains to uplift African farmers

E266: What’s next for school meal quality?

E264: Citizen engagement in post-Brexit UK food and farming policy