E130: Can Software Help Cities Solve Food Insecurity?

May 27, 2021

Can software help urban planners tackle food access in big cities? The UrbanFootprint organization says yes. Fast Company named it one of the most innovative social good companies in 2021. Our guest today is the company’s co-founder and CEO, Joe DiStefano. He’s going to explain how city data and geospatial information can inform critical planning decisions about where to invest and to deploy resources to achieve urban food system resilience and to better support communities.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Social Safety Net & Food |

 

E127: Paarlberg Tackles Misinformation about Food We Grow and Eat

May 5, 2021

Today’s guest, Dr. Robert Paarlberg, is the author of a provocative new book entitled: Resetting the Table: Straight Talk About the Food We Grow and Eat. The book is presented as a clear-eye, science-based corrective, to misinformation about our food: how it’s produced, food companies, nutrition labeling, ethical treatment of animals, the environmental impact of agriculture, and even more.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Agriculture & Tech | Antibiotic Resistance | Community & Economic Development | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | History & Food | Obesity |

 

E124: Food Insecurity Issues are Community Issues

March 30, 2021

So what comes to mind when you think of these words: life around the table? Do you think of good food or family or sharing maybe? But what about spirituality and faith? So we’re continuing our exploration of food and faith issues in today’s podcast. And I’m speaking with Reverend Dr. Michelle Lewis, the executive director of an organization called, Life Around the Table, an ecumenical non-profit organization focused on food and on environmental justice.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Community & Economic Development | Faith & Food | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | North Carolina | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

E121: Marcia Chatelain on the Golden Arches and Black America

March 16, 2021

Today, we’re exploring the intricate relationship among African-American politicians, civil rights organizations, communities and the fast food industry. We’re talking with Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Professor of History and African-American Studies at Georgetown University. She is the author of a fascinating new book entitled, “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America.”

Related podcasts: Chefs & Food Writers | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | History & Food |

 

E116: The Origins and Vision for the Native American Agriculture Fund

February 23, 2021

Knowing that Native Americans were our country’s first farmers and have a rich and very special history with the land, one might consider it surprising and of course discouraging that some of the most challenging food and agriculture issues in our country confront Native Americans. Our guest, attorney Janie Simms Hipp is one of the most passionate and thoughtful voices in addressing these issues. Simms Hipp is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation and leads the Native American Agriculture Fund, the largest philanthropic organization devoted solely to serving Native American farming and ranching communities. The Native American Agriculture Fund is a charitable trust that provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and the advocacy services to support native farmers and ranchers.

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

 

E106: Behind the Scenes of LA’s Good Food Zone Policy

January 14, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re digging into the Good Food Zone Policy that will be implemented in Los Angeles, California. The goal is to expand access to healthy food in neighborhoods considered food deserts and to create economic opportunity and jobs for residents living on low incomes. If you follow food policy work, you’ll be interested in the Good Food Zone, food entrepreneurship and Community Development Framework. Guests in this podcast include three people deeply engaged in developing this place-based policy strategy: Ronnell Hampton, of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, Samantha Salmon, of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and Community Organizer and Media Specialist, Matt Sanderson.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy |

 

E101: Virginia Takes Equity Approach to Community Development Through Food

December 9, 2020

As the governments the world over try to solve the thorny issue of equitable food access in underserved communities, the state of Virginia is trying something new. Led by Dr Jewel Bronaugh, the only black woman agriculture commissioner in the United States, Virginia passed legislation this spring, to establish something very special: The Virginia Food Access Investment Program and Fund which will give communities grants to create food businesses.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Policy |

 

E82: Rediscovering Navajo Indigenous Agricultural Wisdom

July 28, 2020

There’s a great deal to learn from the deep connections between regenerative agriculture and the farming traditions of First Nations people. My guest today is James Skeet, a member of the Navajo Nation and the founder of Spirit Farm in New Mexico, a demonstration farm that draws both Native Americans and others to learn more about issues like composting and regenerative farming techniques.

Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | First Nations Food Issues | Regenerative Agriculture |

 

E21: Colby Duren on Challenges to First Nations Food Sovereignty

April 15, 2019

Extreme poverty, the loss of fertile lands, and lack of access to traditional foods have caused many Native Americans to suffer from diet related problems, including food insecurity, obesity and diabetes in stunning numbers. Nearly 16% of Native Americans, for example, live with type two diabetes, more than double the percentage of Caucasians. These are but some of the challenges that occupy our guest, attorney Colby Duren.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | First Nations Food Issues |

 

E22: Heber Brown on Organizing Communities Around Their Food

March 12, 2019

In the US food system, communities of color suffer disproportionately from lack of access to affordable, nutritious food. But what happens when you connect growers with their communities? Or when communities grow their own food on Church owned land? In Baltimore, Maryland, and along the I-95 corridor in the southeast United States, you can see this happening through the Black Church Food Security Network. Our next guest on The Leading Voices in Food is Reverend Dr. Heber Brown, who founded this network with the goal of helping churches to grow their own food on church-owned land, and to partner black farmers and urban growers with historically African American congregations to create pipelines for fresh produce.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Faith & Food | Food Insecurity |