The Leading Voices in Food

E194: Foodborne illness and the struggle for food safety

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When I was growing up, people didn't fret much about food safety. Trichinosis from undercooked pork was about all I heard about. But today people hear...

E193: Challenges & Opportunities - turning food waste into valuable products

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food is the single largest category of material sent to landfills in the US, where it emits the gree...

E192: How to achieve food equity with SNAP

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're speaking with coauthors of a new report by the Center for Law and Social Policy, entitled "A Community-Driven Anti-Racism Vision for SNAP....

E191: Is today's food waste a consequence of historical public policy

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast is part of a series on food waste. When farmers produce more of a product than people are willing to buy, or when the demand for a pro...

E190: Insights from 2nd Global Survey of School Meals

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

School meal programs provide children with needed meals, snacks, and even take home foods throughout the world. These programs have a tremendous impac...

E189: FDA Plans to Update Healthy Claim on Food Packaging

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Food packaging can make shopping a pretty difficult process. Packaging can be a blitz of marketing strategies, where fact and misdirection are hard to...

E188: Can we achieve sustainable management of food waste?

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When you hear the words food waste do you think about forgotten leftovers? In the journey from farm to stores to the dinner table, some food is lost d...

E187: FDAs role in the national strategy to end hunger

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In September of 2022, the White House held the first conference focused on hunger, nutrition, and health, in 50 years. The convening served as the Bid...

E185: How and why do households waste food?

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that each year the average American family of four loses $1,500 to uneaten food? What's more, consumer food waste is the largest category...

E186: Deep dive into challenges people face access food pantries

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the US food chain and has heightened attention on nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens. Today's guest argue...

E184: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association - Connecting Farmers and Communities

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're speaking with Roland McReynolds, Executive Director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association which is a member-based farmer-driven, no...

E183: The Origins & Vision of the Black Farmer Fund

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

E182: Memoir and Marion Nestle – Slow Cooked

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pioneer, path breaker, field builder. These are all descriptions that apply to our guest today, Dr. Marion Nestle. Marion Nestle is the Paulette Godda...

E181: UK Stands Firm in Ruling Against Kellogg's Cereals

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In July, 2022 food giant Kellogg lost a court challenge of the United Kingdom's high sugar cereal rule. The multinational food company had argued that...

E180: Chris Carter and The Spirit of Soul Food

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 j...

E179: Investing in Soil Regeneration for Human Health & Environmental Health

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're speaking with geologist David Montgomery, co-author with Anne Bikle of a new book called "What Your Food Ate." Very interesting title. Da...

E178: A Call to Invest in Agriculture's Missing Middle

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've done many podcasts on the topic of regenerative agriculture, which is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to farming and ranching that en...

E177: Introducing Operation Good Food and Beverages - New Way to Think about Black Activism

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What can be done to reverse racialized marketing of unhealthy foods to Black Americans? What if healthy eating could be seen as a radical act, or even...

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

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

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

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 dire...

E174: Down to Earth with NC Farm Bureau's Shawn Harding

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're talking with the President of North Carolina Farm Bureau, Shawn Harding. Farm Bureau is the state's largest farming organization is often...

E173: Power & Benefit on the Plate in Durham NC

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

E172: The Power & Potential of Co-Ops for Economic Development Through Food

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're talking to a change management leader, a person who is advancing social justice through food co-ops. Darnell Adams co-leads Firebrand Coo...

E171: Vertical Farming in Qatar: Promise & Challenges

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're exploring an agricultural innovation in the state of Qatar in Western Asia. Qatar is a wealthy, densely populated country located on the ...

E170: Why the US Must Reduce Sodium Intake: It's Costing Lives

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're going to talk salt with Dr. Michael Jacobson, former president and co-founder of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Dr. Jacob...

E169: Ending Childhood Malnutrition is Within our Grasp - Sharman Russell

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So what percentage of the world's children do you believe suffer from physical or mental stunting due to nutrition and food shortages? How lasting do ...

E168: Nutrition Security Now a Clear Focus for USDA

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Poor nutrition is the leading cause of health issues in the United States, with nearly three in four American adults being overweight or obese, and ob...

E167: Muller Shepherding Regenerative and Restorative Agricultural Practices

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast is part of our Regenerative Agriculture series. I'm speaking with Mark Muller, Executive Director of the Regenerative Agriculture Foun...

E166: New Efforts to Combat Diabetes and Stigma in Clinical Settings

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So there's much talk these days about weight stigma, in fact, we recorded a number of podcasts ourselves on the topic, and I believe it's very importa...

E165: North Carolina's Food Youth Initiative brings Young People Into Social Transformation

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're going to explore one way that young people in North Carolina are working to improve their local food system. The Food Youth Initiative is...

E164: Highly Successful Weight Loss Drug Semaglutide Explained

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Much attention has been paid recently in both scientific circles and in the media to a drug for weight loss newly approved by the FDA. A flurry of art...

E163: Malik Yakini on the Inspiration of Urban Ag and Community Self Determination

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Interview Summary  So I've been an admirer of your work for a number of years now and really perceive of you as a pioneer doing important community-r...

E160: Deep Community Connection at the San Diego Food System Alliance

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're speaking with leaders of the San Diego Food System Alliance, about their far reaching 10 year vision for a healthier, more sustainable an...

E159: Ultra-processed Foods Have Addiction Impact on our Bodies

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Much has been written and said about ultra-processed foods, first in scientific circles and now more broadly in the media. This concept is relatively ...

E162: Ultra-processed Foods Need a Warning Label to Protect Consumers

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In today's podcast, we're talking about ultra-processed foods. Our guest today is Trish Cotter from the global public health organization Vital Strate...

E158: CAFOs, Communities & Alternatives to Industrial Agriculture

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are there models for livestock production that support both farmers and communities? Today, we're going to explore the complex nature of relationships...

E157: Transitioning to an Agricultural System that Benefits Everyone

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're going to explore industrial agriculture and what that means to farmers and ranchers, to farm workers, to corporations, and consumers. Our...

E156: Myths About Industrial Agriculture that Affect Us All

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So there's a big question out there that's being asked over and again: do massive multinational corporations have an outsized control of our food syst...

E155: How Industry and Farming Practices Contribute to Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Antibiotic resistance has long been considered one of the greatest threats to global health. More recently, we're seeing growing public awareness arou...

E154: Micropantries and Community Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're going to speak about micropantries as a form of community resilience in the face of the food insecurity exacerbated by the COVID-19 pande...

E153: The Farmer's Language of Climate Change and Land Regeneration

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, we're talking with ecologist, Steven Apfelbaum, author of "Nature's Second Chance," a book that was named a top 10 environmental book...

E152: The underrated power of self talk & self care in weight loss and wellness

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Dr. Gary Foster, Chief Scientific Officer of WW, the company that many of us remember as Weight Watchers. Gary is one of the most r...

E151: MAZON's support for Indian Food Sovereignty, Puerto Rico, and Quick Response Food Advocacy

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're speaking today with Mia Hubbard, vice president of programs at MAZON, a Jewish response to hunger, which is a national advocacy organization wor...

E150: What Food Policy Advocates Can Learn from Tobacco Industry Strategies

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is "The Leading Voices in Food" podcast but today we're speaking with a leading voice in tobacco control. "How come," you might ask, "why?" So I ...

E149: Weight Loss Study Drives New Insight in Role of Carbohydrates in Overeating

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For nearly 70 years now, Americans have been bombarded with advice on how to lose weight. Countless diet books have become bestsellers. Some diets lik...

E148: We've Had it Backwards - New Model Explains Weight Gain and Obesity

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A paper just released in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition challenges, and I mean really challenges conventional thinking about nutrition, we...

E147: Farmer-scientist Measures the Real Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast is part of our Regenerative Agriculture series of podcasts. We're talking with agroecologist Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, CEO for Blue Dashe...

E146: Organic vs Regenerative Agriculture - What You Need to Know

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So what does it mean for something to be considered organic, or to be considered regenerative or sustainably produced? Defining these concepts in agri...

E143: Improved Child Tax Credit Will Lift Many Out of Poverty

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As many as 13 million children in the United States live in food insecure homes, meaning that these households don't have enough food for every family...

E141: Gary Sacks on Curbing Corporate Control of the Food System

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Think for a moment about how much influence the food and agriculture industries have over food policy. Too much influence, too little influence, maybe...

E142: Recognizing the Connection between Obesity and Endrocrine Disrupting Chemicals

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A paper published recently by the journal Obesity Reviews brings attention to the role of EDCs - endocrine disrupting chemicals - in weight gain, and ...

E139: MAZON's Tipping Point - Driving Nutrition in the Food Bank Safety Net

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

E138: Inside the International Dietary Data Expansion project

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers and policy makers in agriculture, food security and nutrition share a common need for accurate and timely information on the what, when, w...

E137: Why Grocery Taxes Hurt Low Income Families More - Evidence for Policymakers

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Taxes fund many important services, such as education, transportation, parks, and healthcare that benefit us all and our society. But does it make sen...

E136: When North Carolina Schools Offer Free Meals - Academic Success Follows

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For youngsters in school, nutritional meals really do lead the higher grades and better performance across the board. Today we'll explore a policy cal...

E135: How did SNAP do during COVID - and What Changes Need to Stay

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives and led to mandated business and school closures, families and communities all around the country experienced ...

E134: How Big Data is Fueling Youth Obesity

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

America's children and teenagers spend tremendous amount of time on the internet and never more than during the Coronavirus pandemic, with families at...

E133: Measuring Fish for Food & Nutrition Security - Improving Metrics to Advance Policy

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Evidence-based Policy relies on strong data and measurements. So if you want to improve a development target like nutrition, you need to be able to me...

E131: Fisheries Need Stronger Role in Food Policy and Food Security Planning

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fish is food, right? Well, it hasn't always been treated that way in policy dialogues and development funding, according to a recent paper in AMBIO. F...

E130: Can Software Help Cities Solve Food Insecurity

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Can software help urban planners tackle food access in big cities? The UrbanFootprint organization says yes. Fast Company named it one of the most inn...

E129: An Eating Addiction Revealed - Susan Burton on Empty

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

People who fight against anorexia and binge eating also struggle with secrecy, isolation and shame. Eating disorders such as these are incredibly powe...

E128: MAZON Series - Why are US Military Families and Veterans Going Hungry?

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Food insecurity strikes all corners of American life including the lives of military families. For the currently serving military families there is a ...

E127: Paarlberg Tackles Misinformation about the Food We Grow and Eat

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 E...

E126: Global Development Financing: What Can the Ag Sector Learn from Healthcare?

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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....

E125: Women, Food Security and the Feminization of Poverty in the US

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hunger affects all communities, but you may not know that 40% of single mothers struggle with food security. Women dominate our central workforce, yet...

E123: Rashid Nuri and a Vision for Urban Agriculture

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The term urban agriculture is becoming more familiar, but relatively few people know how this works on the ground in real world settings, and can full...

E124: Food Insecurity Issues are Community Issues

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 spiri...

E122: Food RX and Health Program Brings Helpful Changes to the Navajo

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

American Indians and Alaska natives face challenging economic, environmental, and political conditions that are in many ways similar to those experien...

E121: Marcia Chatelain on The Golden Arches and Black America

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're exploring the intricate relationship among African-American politicians, civil rights organizations, communities and the fast food indust...

E120: GOODR Tackles the Logistics of Redirecting Healthy Food to the Hungry

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you go to the website of an organization called GOODR, at goodr.co, you will be rewarded with inspiration to be sure but you'll also find some star...

E119: Chef Deborah Madison - An Onion in my Pocket

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder how a groundbreaking, pioneering, and award-winning chef and cookbook author came to such a place? Today, we'll find out from Deborah Madi...

E118: Joel Pitkowsky on MAZON - The Jewish Response to Hunger

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You may not automatically think of faith organizations as advocates for a stronger food system, but boy are they ever? I'm talking today with Rabbi Jo...

E117: Society's Hunger Conundrum: Who is to Blame and Who is Responsible

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Food insecurity poses one of the most pressing development and human challenges in the world. This has been true for a very long time. And still there...

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

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 surprisin...

E115: How Precision Diet Might Oversome Some Genetic Roadblocks

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Could there come a day when an optimal diet could be recommended not just for the population overall or for people with special conditions such as dia...

E114: Why Nutrition is So Critical in the First 1000 Days of Life

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At a conference on early child development and nutrition - comprised of leading experts on brain development, child development and public policy - on...

E113: The Power of Policy and Parents in School Meals

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It wasn't that long ago that there was a nutrition free-for-all in schools where sugary beverages, high calorie snack foods, and even things like pizz...

E112: Marlene Schwartz on Food Banks, Food Pantries and the Promise of More

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Food banks and food pantries provide life-saving help for families all around the country. Like other institutions addressing food issues, there is gr...

E110: Policy and Medical Practice Need to Better Support Breastfeeding

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Breastfeeding is front and center in discussions of maternal and child health. But optimizing breastfeeding practices is anything but simple. There's ...

E108: Industry Needs Government Accountability in Reformulating Food & Food Advertising

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the food industry promises to police itself and pledges to improve nutrition in public health, can it be trusted to make meaningful change or mus...

E107: Fish Need Stronger Role in Global Food Security Planning

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a recently released January 2021, paper, scientists urge global policy makers and funders, to think of fish as a solution to food insecurity and ma...

E106: Behind the Scenes of LA's Good Food Zone Policy

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we're digging into the Good Food Zone Policy that will be implemented in Los Angeles, California. The goal is to expand access to ...

E105: Culinary Historian Adrian Miller on Food Justice

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Food justice is a term heard more and more. Captured in that term is a view of how historical factors have shaped inequity in food systems, and powerf...

E104: Adrian Miller on the History of Soul Food

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two commonly known words "soul" and "food" capture so much meaning. There are the foods themselves--wonderfully diverse and prepared in homes, churche...

E103: Film Discussion - Sanjay Rawal on GATHER

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're celebrating the power of stories in creating shared understanding. We're talking with James Beard award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Rawal. T...

E102: Lyla June on Returning to Native American Agricultural Traditions

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 need...

E101: Virginia Takes Equity Approach To Community Development Through Food

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the governments the world over try to solve the thorny issue of equitable food access in underserved communities, the state of Virginia is trying s...

E100: Blueprint for a National Food Strategy

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast focuses on the need for a national food strategy and why now is the right time to fix the US food system. I'm talking today with two food...

E99: How Soda Taxes Can Drive Equity and Community Wellbeing

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Soda taxes now exist in about 50 countries around the world and in a number of US cities. They raise lots and lots of money. How would you suggest tha...

E93: Aligning Financial Support with Community Wellbeing Aligning Financial Support with Community Wellbeing

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the final podcast in a five-part series focused on Equitable Food Oriented Development, a growing movement to promote food projects and enterp...

E97: Could a New Commission Jumpstart Progress Towards Zero Hunger?

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger is stalling, and the Covid-19 Pandemic is erasing the progress of the last decade in many...

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

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Five times more US children are food insecure now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. This podcast is part of a series focused on the far-reaching impa...

E92: Los Angeles and Durham Reimagined Through EFOD

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a fourth podcast in a five-part series focused on equitable food-oriented development. This is a growing movement to promote food projects and...

E91: Developing Through Community Identity and Sense of Place

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the third podcast in a five part series, focused on equitable food oriented development. A growing movement to promote food projects and enter...

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

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Food insecurity in children is a tragic issue around the world and in the US. In America, the issue is especially changing in rural areas. Rural faith...

E90: Digging into Equitable Food Oriented Development

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second podcast in a five-part series, focused on Equitable Food Oriented Development. EFOD as it's called, is a growing movement to promot...

E95: COVID-19 Disruptions to Nutrition for Mothers and Children Could Cost The World A Generation

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 the pande...

E89: Defining Equitable Food Oriented Development

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the first podcast in a five part series focused on equitable food-oriented development. EFOD, as it is called, is a growing movement to promot...

E94: 8 Ways White Bias Can Misdirect Food System Work

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast is part of our series on racial equity in the food system. Today, we're talking with Alison Conrad, a research associate here at the Worl...

E88: How to Sugarproof Your Kids

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is the second of two podcasts with the authors of the new book Sugarproof, The Hidden Dangers of Sugar that are Putting Your Child at Risk and Wh...