Podcast Topic: Community & Economic Development
The Leading Voices in Food
Podcast Topic: Community & Economic Development
E250: Roots of Change – Successful, incentive-based food and farm policy advocacy
October 8, 2024Join Kelly Brownell in a conversation with Michael Dimock, Executive Director of Roots of Change, about transforming food systems through innovative policies. Discover how Roots of Change collaborates with various stakeholders to create nutrition incentive programs and support sustainable agriculture, focusing on community-first approaches. Learn about pioneering projects, insights into policy influence, and the future of agricultural practices. This episode provides an optimistic view of the evolving food system landscape and the potential for significant positive change.
Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Climate Change, Environment & Food | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Policy | Regenerative Agriculture |
E248: Climate-smart strategies for small-scale fishing communities
September 26, 2024Join host Norbert Wilson and co-host Kerilyn Schewel in the latest episode of the Leading Voices in Food podcast as they dive deep into the world of small-scale fisheries with two distinguished guests: Nicole Franz from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and John Virdin from Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Discover the significant role small-scale fisheries play in food security, economic development, and community livelihoods. Learn about the unique challenges these fisheries face, and how community-led climate adaptation alongside top-down national policies can help build resilience. This episode also highlights collaborative efforts between academia and organizations like FAO, painting a comprehensive picture of the state and future of small-scale fisheries.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Climate Change, Environment & Food | Community & Economic Development | Fisheries & Food Policy | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | International Food & Ag Policy |
E247: Cultivating food security and community stability in the Dry Corridor
With food insecurity rising the world over, we cannot escape the reality that climate change is changing our food supply. This means people’s livelihoods and lifestyles are changing too, particularly in developing countries. Join us on the Leading Voices in Food podcast as we discuss the rising impact of climate change on food security and livelihoods in Central America, specifically Honduras. Host Norbert Wilson, Director of the World Food Policy Center, along with co-host Sarah Bermeo, delve into the challenges and solutions with experts Marie-Soleil Turmel from Catholic Relief Services and Ana Andino from Duke University. Learn about the Dry Corridor, the effects of climate shocks, land restoration practices, and the role of international support in building community resilience.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Climate Change, Environment & Food | Community & Economic Development | Economics of the food system | International Food & Ag Policy |
E242: Revamping debt for nature swaps could support resilient food systems
August 21, 2024In today’s discussion, we will explore the application of debt relief to large investments in environmental sustainability, which can also support local development, including more resilient food systems. This is particularly timely, given the juxtaposition of enormous debt burdens with increasing environmental commitments by developing countries. Debt for relief swaps, such as financial forgiveness for cash strapped countries if they invest those funds to support global environmental goods, have been around since the 1980s. However, they haven’t achieved their full economic or environmental potential, says Duke University Economic and Environmental Policy Professor Alex Pfaff. Smart reforms to improve debt relief programs can allow nations to help themselves and fulfill commitments to preserve the planet. Pfaff and colleagues described needed reforms in a recent analysis in a policy forum for the journal Science, also summarized in Foreign Policy magazine. His co-authors are sustainability expert Elizabeth Losos and conservation professor Stuart Pimm from Duke University. They note that global society has now learned lessons, not only from past debt for nature swaps, but also decades of evaluation of climate change of environmental and development policies.
Related podcasts: Climate Change, Environment & Food | Community & Economic Development | International Food & Ag Policy |
E239: National report – where the grocery stores are missing
July 16, 2024Today we’re talking about who has access to full-service supermarkets in America’s cities, suburbs, small towns and rural communities. According to The Reinvestment Fund’s “2023 Limited Supermarket Access Analysis Report,” 8.5% of people in the US live in areas with limited access to full-service supermarkets. This means that families must travel further to get fresh foods, and it creates a barrier to adequate nutrition. This is the 10th year The Reinvestment Fund has published the “Supermarket Access Report,” which provides data and context about grocery store access across the country. Here to discuss the latest figures is policy and analyst Michael Norton.
Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Philanthropy & Food Systems |
E232: Carolina Farm Trust creating healthy food system disruption
March 18, 2024Today’s podcast is a story of one man’s personal journey to making a difference by building communities. Zach Wyatt grew up caretaking an old 300-acre farm in Virginia. He went to college and ended up working in mortgage lending. And then something changed for Zack, and that’s where the story gets interesting. He now leads the Carolina Farm Trust, working to strengthen local food systems in the Carolinas. The trust cultivates urban farm networks, farm apprenticeships, supports local farmers in purchasing equipment or land, making informed-decisions, and more.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | Food Insecurity | North Carolina | Philanthropy & Food Systems | Urban Agriculture |
E227: Big wins through the North Carolina Farmers Market Network
January 31, 2024In 2022, more than 6 million people visited farmers markets across North Carolina. Today, we’re talking with a team of people who are the driving force behind the North Carolina Farmers Market Network: Maggie Funkhouser, Catherine Elkins, and Nora Rodli. The goal of the North Carolina Farmers Market is to create and support a thriving network of marketplaces for the state’s local food and farm products. The nonprofit network, which was recently awarded a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Capacity-building grant, will provide education, programming, and partnership development assistance to farmers market managers, including resources to support historically underserved populations.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | Urban Agriculture | Voice of Farming |
E211: Soil Wealth Areas: a Tool to Spur Investment in Regenerative and Organic Ag
August 1, 2023There’s much excitement out there about regenerative and organic agriculture, but how can they be financed and how can capital providers support these important approaches to agriculture? A new report by the Croatan Institute addresses this issue by emphasizing soil wealth areas. So, what does this mean? Well, we’re going to learn about that from researcher Jamie Silverstein, an author of that report.
Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Philanthropy & Food Systems | Regenerative Agriculture |
E184: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association – Connecting Farmers & Communities
October 26, 2022Today we’re speaking with Roland McReynolds, Executive Director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association which is a member-based farmer-driven, non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, North Carolina, that helps farmers and consumers in both North and South Carolina grow and eat local organic food.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | North Carolina | Voice of Farming |
E178: A Call to Invest in Agriculture’s Missing Middle
August 24, 2022We’ve done many podcasts on the topic of regenerative agriculture, which is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to farming and ranching that enriches and restores the environment while also producing more nutrient dense food. Today, we are speaking with Anna Aspenson of the Croatan Institute about the need for financial investment in regional food production, and processing infrastructure, such as meat packing, grain milling and malting and produce canning, or even freezing facilities.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Climate Change, Environment & Food | Community & Economic Development | Regenerative Agriculture |