big ag

Mother Jones ag correspondent Tom Philpott deconstructs the boondoggle that is the new "climate bill" beloved by all who pollute. Dubbed "GROWING CLIMATE SOLUTIONS", this bill makes people like Joni Ernst and the good people of the National Pork Producers Council rub their legs together like crickets. How can this be good?

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Is there a meat shortage looming? Are working conditions on large-scale farms safe? How is there food waste when some grocery stores are rationing inventory? With all of these questions looming, consumers are becoming more aware than ever before about where their food comes from and how it’s grown. We’re seeing the cracks in the consolidated system that dominates our meat and dairy supply. On this episode of Meat and Three, we speak to Marion Nestle about the policies that were designed to give an advantage to “big ag,” and the implications of President Trump invoking the Defense Production Act to keep large-scale meat processing plants open and operating.

On the other hand, small farms are discovering they have some unique advantages amid the pandemic. Will Harris, owner/operator of White Oak Pastures, talks about the philosophy behind his holistically-managed pastures, fully-transparent abattoirs, and efforts to revitalize rural America. Hannah Fordin visits a young farmers in Central New Jersey to learn how the pandemic has resulted in a surprising increase in business, as consumers look to buy directly from local farms. Macgill Webb reports on the unique challenges present in the dairy industry as reports emerge of over 3 million gallons of milk being dumped each day. Farmers are struggling to find new channels to replace their usual restaurant business and shifting their production into hard cheeses or other products with a longer shelf-life.

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Over the past 40 years, ownership of the American food supply chain has become concentrated in the hands of a continuously shrinking number of giant multinational corporations. In a new report, the Open Markets Institute details the degree of consolidation in agriculture and its related industries, from seed and chemical inputs and farm equipment to meat processing to grocery sellers. In this episode, host Lisa Held talks to one of the report’s authors, Claire Kelloway, about the scope of consolidation, the consequences for farmers, farmworkers, and rural communities, and potential solutions.

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New Yorker Journalist Chalres Bethea and Water Keeper Alliance senior advisor Rick Dove talk about the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the impact on local communities from the CAFO flooding and how citizens cope with living in the nations capital for hogs, chickens, coal ash and chemicals. Part 1 of 2 discussions on the impact of Hurricane Florence.

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