Economics of the food system Archives - World Food Policy Center

E287: Food policy insights from government agency insider Jerold Mande

November 25, 2025

We speak today to nutrition and policy expert Jerold Mande, the CEO of Nourish Science, a non-governmental organization focused on solving the country’s nutrition crisis. Jerry is also an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a fellow at the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Jerry has had a long and distinguished public policy career. Among his posts in government, he served in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and served as Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety at the US Department of Agriculture in charge of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) from 2009 to 2011. He co-founded Nourish Science in 2022 with a goal of ensuring every child reaches age 18 at a healthy weight and in good metabolic health.

E286: How ‘least cost diet’ models fuel food security policy

October 31, 2025

Governments use something called a ‘least cost diet’ to monitor food access, inform policy discussions, and target interventions to improve food security and nutrition. So, what is the least cost diet? Well, it’s a minimum amount of money needed to purchase a nutritionally adequate diet. Today we are lucky to have two researchers who share an interest in working with least cost diets, understanding their efficacy and thinking about that both domestically in the US and internationally. Our guests today are food and nutrition policy economists Will Masters and Parke Wilde from Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition, science and Policy.

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.

E277: Food Fight – from plunder and profit to people and planet

June 27, 2025

Today we’re talking with health and nutrition expert Dr. Stuart Gillespie, author of a new book entitled Food Fight: from Plunder and Profit to People and Planet. Using decades of research and insight gathered from around the world, Dr. Gillespie wants to reimagine our global food system and plot a way forward to a sustainable, equitable, and healthy food future – one where our food system isn’t making us sick. Certainly not the case now. Over the course of his career, Dr. Gillespie has worked with the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition in Geneva with UNICEF in India and with the International Food Policy Research Institute, known as IFPRI, where he’s led initiatives tackling the double burden of malnutrition and agriculture and health research. He holds a PhD in human nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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.

E263: Explore the Daily Table non profit grocery store model

February 5, 2025

Today, we’re going to explore Daily Table, an innovative non profit grocery chain dedicated to providing fresh, convenient, and nutritious food affordable to everyone, even those on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. In today’s economic climate, where rising food prices are impacting households across the country, the concept of a non profit grocery store seems to fill a real need. Our guest today is Daily Table CEO, Sasha Purpura, a software engineer who spent 15 years in the tech industry and product management and development roles.

E256: ATNI – driving market change towards nutrition

November 21, 2024

Now more than ever, it’s important to challenge the world’s food and beverage manufacturers to address nutrition issues like obesity and undernutrition. Today, we’re going to discuss the 2024 Global Access to Nutrition Index, a very important ranking system that evaluates companies on their nutrition related policies, product portfolios, marketing practices, and engagement with stakeholders. The index is an accountability strategy produced by ATNI, the Access to Nutrition Initiative, a global nonprofit foundation seeking to drive market change for nutrition. Our guest today is Greg Garrett, Executive Director of ATNI.

E254: Why is food so expensive?

October 31, 2024

If you feel like your grocery budget just doesn’t buy you as much as it once did, you’re not alone. According to U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices rose 11. 4 percent last year alone – the highest annual increase in 23 years. The ongoing pinch at the grocery store has been in the news of a lot of media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Times Magazine, Forbes, and so many others. Our guest today, food economics and policy professor David Ortega from Michigan State, is going to walk us through the food price inflation phenomenon.

Related podcasts: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Economics of the food system | Food Industry Behavior & Marketing | History & Food |

Podcast Topic: Economics of the food system

The Leading Voices in Food

Podcast Topic: Economics of the food system

E287: Food policy insights from government agency insider Jerold Mande

E286: How ‘least cost diet’ models fuel food security policy

E283: Taylor Hanson’s Food On The Move

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

E277: Food Fight – from plunder and profit to people and planet

E268: Why Corporate Control of Agriculture is Cause for Concern

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

E263: Explore the Daily Table non profit grocery store model

E256: ATNI – driving market change towards nutrition

E254: Why is food so expensive?