industrial agriculture

Tom Philpott, author of Perilous Bounty, was prescient in his 2020 book in a lengthy description of the 1862 floods that inundated Central Valley in a once in a century flood. Now Central Valley is facing an even more catastropic scenario as climate disruption adds fuel to an already volatile area now packed with dairy farms, oil wells, and massive swaths of land planted to almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, and cotton. What will ensue with the predicted flooding caused by potential rapid snowmelt is a desperate scenario indeed.

Read Tom's latest piece here.

Read an excerpt from his book here.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!

What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

We are human because for most of our evolutionary history, we have eaten meat whilst treating animals as relations and giving thanks to them. We held these the two sides of this paradox in tension. But in the past decades, we have created hells on earth in our industrialised farming and abattoirs so that eating from them is no longer remotely ethical.  How do we resolve the paradox? Is global veganism the answer or are there other ways to create a generative relationship with our humanity and the food we eat? With Rob Percival, author of The Meat Paradox.

For hundreds of thousands of years, we lived as forager-hunters, our lives intimately entwined with the lives - and then deaths - of the animals that we ate.  And then we cut that link and now we eat meat in plastic packages with cute pictures on the front to remove our awareness of the death that has arisen. And yet at our deepest levels, we know that meat is murder.  How do we resolve this paradox?

Rob Percival is a writer, campaigner and food policy expert. His commentary on food and farming has featured in the national press and on prime time television, and his writing has been shortlisted for the Guardian's International Development Journalism Prize and the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Food Sustainability Media Award. He works as Head of Food Policy for the Soil Association.

The Meat Paradox is his first book and it's one of the best, deepest, and most genuinely engaging that I've read of the many that seek to address the huge cultural divide that surrounds our consumption of meat.   This is a book that delves into neuroscience (denial, cognitive dissonance and the lies we tell ourselves), indigenous spiritual/shamanic practice, ancient ancestral practice as depicted in cave paintings that were created over a span of 30,000 years (that's a long time for an art form) and the actual experience of what it is to stand in an abbatoir and make eye contact with a cow as she walks into the stun cage.

Reading this book will change your life.  Talking to Rob on the podcast was a joy and an inspiration and we ranged across all of these subjects and more.  We didn't get to the last-line dedication to Odin, which I had thought would be the core of the podcast, but then I discovered in the pre-recording conversations that Odin is a rescue dog (which is wonderful, but not quite the backbone of a shamanic/spiritual podcast that I'd imagined).

Nonetheless, this is a deeply felt, deeply touching podcast that delves deep into the very meat of our identities in the modern world.

The Meat Paradox: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-meat-paradox-brilliantly-provocative-original-electrifying-bee-wilson-financial-times/9781408713815

Web: rob-percival.com https://rob-percival.com/

Twitter: @rob_percival_ https://twitter.com/Rob_Percival_
IPES report: The Politics of Protein: http://ipes-food.org/pages/politicsofprotein
Sustainable Food Trust Report: 'Feeding Britain': https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/our-work/feeding-britain/
LRB: A Million Shades of Red by Adam Mars-Jones: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n17/adam-mars-jones/a-million-shades-of-red

For the past two years, the news has been stark and at times, downright terrifying. War, disease, supply shortages – but these matters do not exist in a vacuum. These global concerns have trickle-down effects on industries across the board, including the food world. From food recalls to fast food worker strikes to global shortages, we look to shows across our network to uncover the history, legislation, and key issues behind headline news and how it relates to what we eat. 

Further Reading and Listening: 

Learn more about the founding of the FDA on A Taste of the Past episode 346: Poison Squad: Founding of the FDA and about the FDA’s present short-comings on What Doesn’t Kill You: episode: 364: Explosive Report on How the FDA is Failing Our Food System. 

You can read Deborah Blum’s book Poison Squad here or watch the film about it here.

Dig deeper into the history of, and current controversies surrounding OSHA on What Doesn’t Kill You Episode 316: Where is OSHA in meatpacking?

Listen to the full episode of What Doesn’t Kill You episode 347: Poultry Farmer Blows the Whistle on Perdue and find out more about Rudy Howell’s story and how you can support the Food Integrity Campaign at https://foodwhistleblower.org/

Find out more on Why the War in Ukraine Will Affect Food Supplies Globally on episode 363 of What Doesn’t Kill You 

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

The industrial production of beef comes at a major cost to the environment, degrading soil quality and emitting extreme amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. But what if there was a better way? In this episode, we speak with Langdon Hill, who's turned about 20,000 acres of Arizona desert into a ranch laboratory to see if it's possible to raise cattle in a way that nourishes the environment instead of breaking it down.

According to the US Geological Survey, 70% of the available freshwater worldwide is used for irrigation. Industrial agriculture and modern irrigation practices have today brought us to a global water crisis. This week we're discussing what has been called the “irrigation efficiency paradox,” when farmers use more water, even as they are becoming more efficient in their irrigation practices. What will happen when the water cycle fails because we won’t change our water wasting ways? 

World Ocean Radio offers five-minute weekly insights that dive into ocean science, advocacy and education, hosted by Peter Neill, Director of the W2O, author, and lifelong ocean advocate. Episodes offer perspectives on global ocean issues, today’s challenges, marine science and policy, and exemplary solutions. Available for RSS feed, podcast, and syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

Anthropogenic climate change, rapid population growth, deforestation and poor management of land leading to devastation mean current agricultural approaches both in Australia and across the world must change. Industrial farming is simply not an option for the future and good governance and agricultural innovation are required to both protect the environment and tackle the uncertainties of climate change. 

Innovation is however challenging to introduce and to drive positive, innovative change in land management there must be achievable incentives for agriculturists and at the same time education of consumers. Large grocery players in Australia also have an important part to play in land management and need to lift their game. 

Regenerative agriculture aims to enhance and restore “resilient systems” and focuses on restoring and enhancing soil health that has been degraded by traditional agriculture. Importantly regenerative agriculture creates better quality nutrient dense food and provides other ecosystem services including soil carbon sequestration, improved soil water retention, higher crop yields and healthier communities. Regenerative farming practices are apparently increasing however it is estimated that under 2% of Australian farmers practice regenerative agriculture.

Farmers often feel a “sense of alienation” when they transition to the path of regenerative agriculture and there has been limited research conducted on the challenges farmers face when shifting from industrial farming practices to a relatively new approach that is based on conservation and adaptive management. There must be consideration of the often fluctuating seasonal darkness of being a farmer as the sound mental health of farmers is a critical component of this new paradigm in agriculture.

Join us for this thought provoking podcast with the man described by some as the godfather and leader of regenerative agriculture in Australia, Charlie Massy.

An interview with Alex Jack, author, teacher, and macrobiotic health counselor.  Alex is the founder and president of Planetary Health, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that sponsors the Amberwaves grassroots campaign to preserve whole grains from genetic engineering, climate change, and other threats.  He holds conferences and seminars on diet, health, sustainability, engages in publishing, and conducts medical research.  Alex's commitment toward creating a more sustainable, just and peaceful society includes his work as a civil rights worker in Mississippi, Vietnam War correspondent, editor-in-chief of East West Journal, director of the One Peaceful World Society, and executor director of the Kushi Institute, Center for Personal & Planetary Health. 

Alex is the author of over 40 books.  His major books include:  The Cancer Prevention Diet, One Peaceful World, and Gospel of Peace:  Jesus's Teaching of Eternal Truth with Michio Kushi; The Mozart Effect:  Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit with Don Campbell; editions and commentaries on Hamlet and As You Like It by Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare; The One Peaceful World Cookbook with Sachi Kato; and The Golden Dream Cookbook with Bettina Zumdick.

In this interview, Alex talks about two articles he has recently written about Covid-19 titled Reducing the Risk of Covid-19, Diet - The Missing Link and The Anatomy of an Epidemic. He also touches on his recent book relating to strengthening natural immunity to reduce the risk of viral and bacterial infection, including Covid-19.  (This book is titled Strengthening Natural Immunity, A Plant-Based Macrobiotic Approach and is co-written with Edward Esko and Bettina Zumdick.)  Alex introduces his new book published earlier this year, Spiral of History, The Arc that Bends Toward Justice, Peace & Love, which is intended to be the first book in a series exploring this critical juncture in the history of the human species where "the pace of modern life is accelerating rapidly, all boundaries are dissolving, and everthing is converging. All familiar institutions are breaking down:  family, church, school, hospital, brick-and-mortar store, union, and even the nation-state.  Age-old concepts of race, sex, gender, matter and spirit are in breathtaking flux."  As humanity ushers in a new era, few individuals are as daring and emblematic of futuristic thinking as Elon Musk.  I asked Alex to complete a facial diagnosis (macrobiotic/oriental medicine) - this is one indicia of the individual's constitution and balances/imbalances and offers insight as to what drives him/her. Interesting indeed!

Websites relating to Alex's work:

• https://planetaryhealth.com/
• https://www.macrobioticsummerconference.com/
• https://www.amberwavesofgrain.com/
• https://www.makropedia.com/
• http://ebolaanddiet.com/

I would love it if you would follow, rate, or write a review for my podcast. What you think matters and I appreciate all feedback!

Get in touch with topic ideas relating to my podcast's categories:

• The meaning of health and well-being, personal and collective consciousness, and fulfilling one's true potential

My email: plantsroc@gmail.com.

With sincere gratitude,

Noreen

Unpredictable weather is threatening crop production and a swelling population is increasing the demand for food. How will we eat in a hotter, more crowded world? The race to reinvent the global food system is on, and innovative solutions are already being served up. Meat produced from animal cells is one solution, says CEO of Memphis Meats Uma Valeti. "Can we start thinking about evolving our food system in a transformative way to feed 10 billion people and beyond?" He joins Amanda Little, author of The Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World, and Susan Goldberg, editor-in-chief of National Geographic to discuss new methods of food production. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

aspenideas.org

You know what drives Jason really crazy about auto traffic? No, it’s not the 42 hours per year that the average commuter wastes stuck in it or even the global warming pollution spewed, it’s the 3 BILLION (with a B people!) gallons of fuel that are wasted instead of helping with the transition of our food system. In this episode, Rob, Asher, and Jason talk about why fossil fuels are so embedded in our food system and how changes in the way we grow food might change where all of us live. This episode is designed especially for people who like to eat food and hope to continue doing so. For episode notes and more information, please visit our website.

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.

The Farm Report is powered by Simplecast.

In the summer season premiere of Eat Your Words, Cathy is joined in-studio by Virginia Willis, a James Beard-Award-winning author of 5 cookbooks, to discuss her latest: Secrets of the Southern Table. Virginia shares how much of a departure this book is from her rest, as she seeks to expose Southern cooking as the multicultural cuisine that it is. From Chinese immigrants to African ingredients cultivated by enslaved farmers, the diverse landscape and long growing season of the South has lent itself to a multifaceted cuisine that is far from just fried chicken & biscuits. Tune in to hear why Virginia thinks it's important to redefine Southern cuisine in today's divisive atmosphere.

Eat Your Words is powered by Simplecast

Kara Cook-Schultz from U.S. PIRG joins the show to talk about their recently released report, Reaping What We Sow: How the Practices of Industrial Agriculture Put Our Health and Environment at Risk, that breaks down the problems of industrial agriculture and offers common-sense solutions. Host Jenna Liut is also speaks with Seth Watkins, 4th generation Iowa farmer whose grandmother, Jessie Field Shambaugh, started 4H. Seth offers his experience in implementing the types of sustainable farming practices proposed in the report.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast

Award winning journalist Maryn McKenna reveals the fascinating history of chicken in her new book, Big Chicken. She talks with us about chicken's rise in popularity through the routine use of antibiotics, a practice that would transform agriculture, change the world's eating habits, and contribute to the deadly rise of drug-resistant infections around the globe.

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is joined in the studio by Alon Shepon, a sustainability expert in the Weizmann Institute of Science. Shepon was part of a research team that spent five years studying and measuring five main sources of protein (dairy, beef, poultry, pork and eggs) to calculate the environmental costs per calorie and per gram. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that, among other things, beef is measurably the most environmentally draining livestock on the market.

After the break, this week's EscapeMaker segment features John McCarthy, executive chef and owner of The Crimson Sparrow in Hudson, NY. The Crimson Sparrow builds on all of John’s reverence and experience in cooking with Asian flavors, and utilizing French technique. Their tasting menu is a foray into all of these complex, rich and unexpected flavors, and changes approximately every two to three weeks to reflect seasonality.

If you’d like to visit any of the craft brewers or cider makers interviewed in The Farm Report, checkout EscapeMaker.com to book a 1 or 2-night all-inclusive craft beverage package with tours tastings and lodging.

This week on i, host Cathy Erway is joined by Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of the new book Eat It Up!: 150 Recipes to Use Every Bit and Enjoy Every Bite of the Food You Buy.

Sherri is the author of the Put 'Em Up! series. Sherri's books, lectures, and workshops have taught countless eaters how to have a more delicious life. Her first book, The Real Food Revival: Aisle by Aisle, Morsel by Morsel, teaches readers how and why to enjoy sustainably raised foods. Sherri's current series of Put 'Em Up! books provide a modern take on home food preservation. She has been featured on numerous radio and TV programs, including Martha Stewart Radio and the Leonard Lopate Show. Sherri is a former Governor of Slow Food USA and is a member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Chefs Collaborative.

This week on Eat Your Words, host Cathy Erway is joined in the studio by Tyler Kord, chef-owner of the lauded No. 7 restaurant and four No. 7 Sub shops in New York. He is also a terrifically neurotic man who directs his energy into writing fall-down-funny stories and rants about sandwich philosophy, love, self-loathing, and the life of a chef.

A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches welcomes you inside Tyler Kord’s wonderfully off-kilter mind: a place where bread, condiments, vegetables, and meats mingle in delicious, unexpected recipes—and where his raves, rants, jokes, and stories run free. Most of these stories also happen to be truly excellent recipes in this convention-breaking cookbook. Come for the laughs, stay for the roast beef sub with fried shallots and smoked French dressing.