History & Food Archives - World Food Policy Center

E182: Memoir and Marion Nestle – Slow Cooked

October 3, 2022

Pioneer, path breaker, field builder. These are all descriptions that apply to our guest today, Dr. Marion Nestle. Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health emerita at New York University. She has been a major force in food policy for decades, partly because she is a brilliant communicator and a prolific author. Her groundbreaking book, “Food Politics,” has been published in several editions. Another book, “Unsavory Truth: How The Food Companies Skew The Science of What We Eat,” is a classic. And this just begins the list. But today we’re talking about Marion’s newest book, which is a memoir called, “Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics”. It offers an unprecedented look into the life, the thinking, and the passions of one of the top figures in the field.

Related podcasts: Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Policy | History & Food |

E180: Chris Carter and the Spirit of Soul Food

September 14, 2022

Soul food has played a critical role in preserving black history, community and culinary genius and has also been a response to centuries of food in justice. Today we’re speaking with author, Dr. Christopher Carter about these new book entitled, “The Spirit of Soul Food.” Chris Carter is a professor of theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego and also a pastor in the United Methodist church.

Related podcasts: Equity, Race & Food Justice | Faith & Food | Food System Narratives | History & Food |

E173: Special Episode | Power & Benefit on the Plate: A History of Food in Durham, NC

June 29, 2022

So why is the food history of a community so important? And can Durham’s food history be applied to other places? Who owns land, who can grow food and make a living doing so, and who has access to food, any food, least of all healthy food? The answers are deeply influenced by historical policies and practices. These in retrospect, clearly exacerbated, supported, and even created food related calamities, the dual burden communities face of both food insecurity and diet related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Understanding these practices is important in creating change. And in understanding that conditions imposed on neighborhoods rather than personal failings of residents explain what we see today.

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.

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.”

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.

E103: Film Discussion – Sanjay Rawal on GATHER

January 16, 2021

Today, we’re celebrating the power of stories in creating shared understanding. We’re talking with James Beard award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Rawal. The creative force behind a new movie about Native American food ways called “Gather.” Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.

E104: Adrian Miller on the History of Soul Food

January 7, 2021

Two commonly known words “soul” and “food” capture so much meaning. There are the foods themselves–wonderfully diverse and prepared in homes, churches and restaurants–but there’s so much more to this. There’s a history, a culture, religion and the blending of cuisines from surprising places according to culinary historian Adrian Miller.

Related podcasts: Chefs & Food Writers | History & Food |

E102: Lyla June on Returning to Native American Agricultural Traditions

December 15, 2020

What if we cultivated our environment instead of intensive crop planting and animal farming, and in turn created an abundance of food to meet our needs? Is this what First Nations people did here in the Americas? This concept is the focus of doctoral research of today’s guest, Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer, Lyla June. June is an Indigenous woman of Dine (Navajo), Tsetsehestahese (Cheyenne) and European lineage. She’s pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. And she’s fascinated by the intersection of Indigenous food systems and Indigenous land management.

E76: Food Fights – A Civil Conversation About Contemporary Food Debates

February 20, 2020

Understanding our current food system, where it came from and especially where it might go is much easier if one understands history. Our field needs historians, thoughtful scholars who can do deep exploration of what has preceded the snapshot in time that represents what we’re experiencing today. This is why an exciting development was the recent publication of a book entitled Food Fights edited by two historians at North Carolina State University, Charles Ludington and Matthew Booker. We’re joined today by both of the editors.

Podcast Topic: History & Food

The Leading Voices in Food

Podcast Topic: History & Food

E182: Memoir and Marion Nestle – Slow Cooked

E180: Chris Carter and the Spirit of Soul Food

E173: Special Episode | Power & Benefit on the Plate: A History of Food in Durham, NC

E127: Paarlberg Tackles Misinformation about Food We Grow and Eat

E121: Marcia Chatelain on the Golden Arches and Black America

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

E103: Film Discussion – Sanjay Rawal on GATHER

E104: Adrian Miller on the History of Soul Food

E102: Lyla June on Returning to Native American Agricultural Traditions

E76: Food Fights – A Civil Conversation About Contemporary Food Debates