E183: The Origins and Vision of the Black Farmer Fund

October 20, 2022

In 2017, two Black former activists, Karen Washington and Olivia Watkins, met at a conference. Sharing their frustrations about the lack of financial assistance available for Black farmers, the two decided to create the Black Farmer Fund as a new way to nurture Black community wealth and health by investing in Black agricultural systems in the Northeast. In today’s podcast, we will talk with Olivia Watkins, President of the Black Farmer Fund.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Philanthropy & Food Systems | Voice of Farming |

 

E176: Insights from a nationwide survey of hunger relief organizations during COVID

July 20, 2022

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, much of the US was in lockdown. Many people had lost jobs or could not work from home during that time and struggled to pay their bills. Shortages of food and other basic necessities were common. Many people needed help during this time. Charitably-funded volunteer staff organizations like soup kitchens and food pantries suddenly found themselves on the front line of a massive ongoing food relief emergency. Many of them did heroic work. We’re speaking today with the co-authors of a new report titled, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US Hunger Relief Organizations, from August and November of 2020.” Gizem Templeton is a researcher at Duke University’s World Food Policy Center. Alison Cohen, formerly of WhyHunger, is a research consultant on the project. And Suzanne Babb is the director of US programs at WhyHunger.

Related podcasts: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

E175: Striving for Black Food Sovereignty – Stewards for the Land

July 14, 2022

Today, we’re talking to Dr. Jasmine Ratliff, who goes by Dr. Jas, and is an applied food systems research and policy specialist, and co-executive director of the National Black Food and Justice Alliance. She believes that your zip code should not determine your life expectancy and that building relationships are essential to creating a sustainable and just food system.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Agriculture & Tech | Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food System Narratives | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

E139: MAZON’s Tipping Point – Driving Nutrition in the Food Bank Safety Net

September 2, 2021

This podcast focuses on why now is the right time to fix the US food system. I’m talking today with Marla Feldman, Senior Program Director at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds, in both the United States and Israel. As our regular listeners will know from previous podcasts, for 36 years, MAZON has worked towards systemic change to address hunger and its root causes. This is done through a combination of initiatives, including programs with low-income populations or problems that have previously been overlooked or ignored, including food insecurity among currently serving military families, among veterans, single mothers, Native Americans, LGBTQ seniors, and the people of Puerto Rico and the territories. This is the fourth in our series of episodes in partnership with MAZON. And this time, we’ll focus on the organization’s work to increase access to nutritious foods in the charitable food network.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

E126: Global Development Financing – What Can the Agriculture Sector Learn from Healthcare

April 22, 2021

If the world is ever going to end hunger, ensure food security and embrace sustainable agriculture practices, we’ve got to invest more in agriculture. Particularly, in developing countries. Now, governments and international organizations do invest in agriculture of course, but less than in healthcare, for example. And we wondered why? It turns out it’s not so much a question of why healthcare receives more funding, it’s how such funds are raised and distributed that makes a difference. In this podcast, we’re going to explore findings from our new report on agricultural development financing and highlight some innovative practices from healthcare sector that could be used to boost resources for agriculture in low and middle income countries. Our guests are global health policy professor Gavin Yamey of the Duke University Center for Policy Impacting Global Health and global health financing and policy expert, Marco Schaeferhoff of Open Consultants.

Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Food Policy | International Food & Ag Policy | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

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 |

 

E112: Food Banks, Food Pantries, and the Promise of More

February 9, 2021

Food banks and food pantries provide life-saving help for families all around the country. Like other institutions addressing food issues, there is growing focus on providing not just food, but healthy food. There are complex issues in this picture, however, issues we can address with today’s guest, Dr. Marlene Schwartz. Schwartz is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut.

Related podcasts: Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Philanthropy & Food Systems | Social Safety Net & Food |

 

E93: EFOD Impact: Aligning Financial Support with Community Wellbeing

November 11, 2020

This is the final podcast in a five-part series focused on Equitable Food Oriented Development, a growing movement to promote food projects and enterprises as vehicles for building community wealth, health and self-determination. With us today are two leaders in this movement: urban planner Rudy Espinoza, the executive director of inclusive action for the city in Los Angeles and community activist and organizer, Camryn Smith, the founding member of Communities in Partnership, the Grassroots Organization in the old East Durham, North Carolina.

Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Philanthropy & Food Systems |

 

E98: The COVID-19 Pandemic Response of No Kid Hungry

November 9, 2020

This podcast is part of a series focused on the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food system. Today we’re looking at how responses to the pandemic have affected food availability and nutrition for one of America’s most vulnerable populations – young children. Joining me is Eleni Towns, the Associate Director of the No Kid Hungry Campaign at Share Our Strength.

Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Diet & Nutrition | Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Philanthropy & Food Systems | Social Safety Net & Food |

 

E96: The Role & Promise of Rural Faith Communities in Solving Hunger

October 27, 2020

Food insecurity in children is a tragic issue around the world and in the US. In America, the issue is especially challenging in rural areas. Rural faith communities often play a central role in addressing rural child hunger, and the support needs and desires of these organizations are nuanced by their faith tradition. This is the subject of a report done jointly by the Duke World Food Policy Center and the No Kid Hungry program of Share Our Strength. It is entitled, Rural Child Hunger and Faith Community Engagement. Joining us today are three experts on this issue. Emma Lietz Bilecky, the chief author of this report, received her graduate training at Duke University and is now Research Fellow with Princeton Theological Seminary’s Farminary project. Norman Wirzba and Robb Webb are some of the nation’s leading thinkers on issues of food and faith. Norman Wirzba a faculty member of the Duke Divinity School and has written some of the most influential texts on food and faith, and Robb Webb is Director of the Rural Church Division of The Duke Endowment and Chair of the Rural Life Committee of the North Carolina Council of Churches.

Related podcasts: Faith & Food | Food Insecurity | Philanthropy & Food Systems |