Episode 116: Big Chicken

We hear about greenhouse gas emissions and their consequences all the time, but who’s measuring those emissions? How can countries use that data to develop more sustainable methods for producing and distributing food? Francesco Tubiello, a senior statistician and climate change specialist with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, joins host Jenna Liut to speak about his most recent report and the role of his findings in pinpointing the most energy-intensive nodes of our global food system.

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How does nutrition impact your ability to conceive? What are key nutrients and vitamins and their recommended food sources for boosting both women AND men’s fertility? Are there multigenerational health effects of our dietary and lifestyle choices? Dr. Nicole Avena, research neuroscientist, nutrition expert and author of the newly released book, “What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant” joins host Jenna Liut to discuss these questions and more!

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Host Jenna Liut is joined by Leah Garcés, President of Mercy for Animals (MFA), an organization working to construct a compassionate food system and end commercial animal agriculture.  They discuss MFA’s undercover investigation into the horrific conditions of Costco’s chicken farm as profiled in New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s recent exposé, the concept of sentience, and what differentiates their work from other animal welfare organizations. 

Image courtesy of Mercy for Animals.

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Host Jenna Liut welcomes the award-winning investigative journalist, Carey Gillam, back to show to discuss her new book, The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice. A follow up to Gillam’s first book, Whitewash – an explosive expose on Monsanto and the health risks of its best-selling herbicide, Roundup – her new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark lawsuit against Monsanto and its implications for tens of thousands of plaintiffs worldwide. Informed by Gillam’s unfettered access to the legal team behind this historic lawsuit and over 80,000 pages of documents, The Monsanto Papers details the astounding extent to which the company went hide the deadly dangers of its products and corporate misdeeds – and the devastating human toll that it took.

Photo Courtesy of Prayong Kotjuk.

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We know that U.S. industrial agriculture has had monumental effects on our climate, but how has climate change reciprocally impacted our agricultural system? And, an even more pressing question, how close is our agricultural system to total collapse? In his new book, “Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It,” Tom Philpott looks for answers in the nation’s primary farming hubs: California’s Central Valley and the Corn Belt of the Midwest, both of which are in a state of accelerating ecological decline. Host Jenna Liut sits down with Tom to talk about California water barons, toxic petrochemical stews, and why we should make almonds a special occasion snack.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Philpott.

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The US is a global leader of food waste, generating about 40 MILLION tons annually, which represents between 30 - 40% of the food supply. Within this waste stream are 10 million tons of perfectly usable vegetables that don’t make it to market. Recognizing the critical role this produce could play in tackling the dual challenges of food waste and limited availability of nutritious food for millions of Americans, Anna Hammond founded Matriark Foods, a startup that upcycles vegetable byproducts into healthy products for the benefit of people and the planet. Host Jenna Liut speaks with Anna about how she got her start and the impact the company is making as a solution for major inefficiencies in the food supply chain.

Photo Courtesy of Matriark Foods.

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The fight to eliminate hunger entails measures that go well beyond food banks, soup kitchens, and SNAP benefits. Prior to Biden’s inauguration and the release of the Administration's COVID & economic relief proposal, host Jenna Liut interviewed Joel Berg to discuss how higher wages, affordable housing, universal health care, school meals and nutritional education are each vital to ensuring widespread food security. Joel is the CEO of Hunger Free America, a national advocacy and direct service organization dedicated to designing programs and policies to end hunger in the U.S.

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Longtime food and agriculture policy reporter, Chuck Abbott, helps us to understand our nation’s “farmer voting bloc” and its loyalty to Trump throughout the last two election cycles. What policies and belief systems have generated our rural-urban political divide? Chuck takes us through the trade war with China, agricultural subsidies, climate change debates, COVID-19 relief, and their collective impacts on the political allegiance of rural America. Finally, we consider what transformations the Biden administration might pose for U.S. agriculture. 

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Following up on our previous episode featuring Sanjay Rawal, director of the newly-released film, Gather, host Jenna Liut interviews a central character of the documentary: Native food practitioner, Nephi Craig. Chef Craig is the founder of both the Native American Culinary Association as well as Café Gozhóó where he also serves as the Executive Chef. They discuss Indigenous food systems and the modern colonial violence that continues to threaten them, as well as cultural appropriation in the culinary world. Chef Craig helps us to solidify our definition of food sovereignty and better understand the intersection of Native foods, cultural preservation, community health, and political autonomy. Eating Matters’ Amber Chong co-hosts.

Photo Courtesy of Renan Ozturk. 

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Ever wonder why we don’t eat Bison meat in this country? This is a little known - but extremely important - part of American history that perfectly demonstrates one way the US government worked to systematically steal land from and decimate Native American people. It was a tactic that effectively communicated that ‘one dead buffalo is two dead Indians.’ 

Director Sanjay Rawal (Food Chains) joins host Jenna Liut to discuss his critically-acclaimed, newly-released documentary, Gather. The film demonstrates how Indigenous Americans are reclaiming their sovereignty over their annihilated ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by colonialism and centuries of genocide. Eating Matters’ Amber Chong joins the show as co-host.

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