Eating Matters
181 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsFood has emerged as a critical policy area – and it raises big questions about health, labor, sustainability and our collective future. Join host Jenna Liut for conversations with food policy experts and leaders about the issues that shape our everyday experiences of buying, cooking and eating food.
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Episodes
Episode 130: Part 1: The ABCs of GMOs
March 17, 2019 22:01 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBInternational agricultural biotechnology and biosafety expert from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Greg Jaffe, joins host Jenna Liut to share everything you need to know about genetic engineering. Whether you are a skeptic or supporter, this episode will help you better understand the facts – including the science, regulation and controversies surrounding the use of this technology. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.
Episode 129: Good Intentions: The Renewable Fuels Standard
March 10, 2019 22:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBWhat did Ted Cruz get right that the 2020 field of Democratic Presidential candidates are getting wrong? The answer is his view that the Renewable Fuels Standard is failed policy in need of reform. Environmental journalist and author Michael Grunwald joins host Jenna Liut to unpack what the Renewable Fuels Standard entails, why it has arguably caused more environmental harm than good since its inception, and where we need to go from here. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.
Episode 128: Green. New. Deal.
March 03, 2019 23:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBIntroduced in early February by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the Green New Deal is a congressional resolution that calls for the U.S. to become carbon neutral and to supply 100% of the country’s electricity from carbon-free energy sources by 2030. But what does this grand plan to tackle climate change actually entail and what does it mean for our food system? Award-winning journalist Christopher D. Cook joins host Jenna ...
Episode 127: The Chef's Collaborative
February 24, 2019 23:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBMembers of the Chef's Collaborative - including Chef & Owner of Nicks on Broadway, Derek Wagner; Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of AeroFarms, Marc Oshima; and, Chef Jake Rojas of Tallulah's Taqueria - join Host Jenna Liut to discuss the work that the non-profit has done over the past 25 years to create a more sustainable food system. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.
Episode 126: The Ripple Effect
February 17, 2019 23:00 - 51 minutes - 47 MBCo-founders Adam Lowry and Neil Renninger join the show to discuss their newest company, Ripple Foods, makers of nutritious plant-based milk products. Adam and Neil discuss how they created the cleanest plant protein on the planet, the sustainability impact the company is having, and the current state of the non-dairy industry. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.
Episode 125: Sustainability & The Farm Bill
February 10, 2019 23:00 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBThe Farm Bill has an enormous potential to improve the sustainability of our food system by supporting and funding major initiatives that mitigate agriculture's impact on climate change. After a long and drawn out process, the legislation was finally reauthorized in December 2018. Alyssa Charney, Senior Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, joins host Jenna Liut to provide an update on the finalized conservation programs that were approved and the impact they...
Episode 124: The Radical Center
January 20, 2019 23:46 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBGary Paul Nabhan, author and father of the local food movement, joins host Jenna Liut to talk about his new book, “Food from the Radical Center: Healing our Communities and our Land,” which contains a collection of stories that illustrate what good can happen when people organize and work together to restore land in order to produce healthy foods. They discuss just how divided our nation is today, various community-based collaborative restoration strategies, and the unprecedented impacts th...
Episode 123: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, Part 2
December 17, 2018 04:35 - 56 minutes - 51.3 MBThe second of a two-part series discussing the World Resources Institute’s report titled “Creating a Sustainable Food Future: A Menu of Solutions to Sustainably Feed More Than 9 Billion People by 2050.” Host Jenna Liut interviews its lead author, Tim Searchinger, about the innovative and sobering changes that are necessary to feed the world’s booming population without completely destroying the plant over the next 30 years. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast
Episode 122: Creating a Sustainable Food Future, Part 1
December 17, 2018 02:24 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBTim Searchinger, lead author of the World Resources Institute’s recently released report titled “Creating a Sustainable Food Future: A Menu of Solutions to Sustainably Feed More Than 9 Billion People by 2050,” joins host Jenna Liut to discuss what it will take to feed the world’s booming population over the next 30 years without having devastating and irrevocable effects on the planet. This episode is Part 1 of 2 in our coverage of this landmark report. Eating Matters is powered by Simplec...
Episode 121: Salmonella, anyone?
December 09, 2018 21:09 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBIn light of the recent outbreaks in foodborne illnesses, host Jenna Liut delves into the world of food safety. Jean Halloran, Director of Food Initiatives at Consumer Reports, joins the show to discuss how outbreaks like the recent discovery of Salmonella in Jennie-O’s fresh ground turkey, are managed and hopefully prevented in our food system. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast
Episode 120: Gettin' Hot in Here
December 02, 2018 23:00 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBLast week, the day after Thanksgiving, US government agencies released the much anticipated Forth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) which assesses the state of the climate across the US. The report’s findings were bleak – stating in clear terms that without “substantial and sustained reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will hurt people, economies, and resources across the country. Marcia DeLong, a Senior Scientist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Conce...
Episode 119: Organic: All It's Cracked Up to Be?
November 18, 2018 18:11 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBDemand for organic products continue to rise as consumers become increasingly conscientious about their food choices. Indeed, being mindful of the kinds of food and production methods used to produce that food is undeniably essential to creating a better and sustainable food system. But does that mean that we should exclusively eat organic foods? Are all conventional foods bad? Alexina Cather, Deputy Director Hunter College’s New York City Food Policy Center, joins host Jenna Liut to dis...
Episode 118: The Dead Zone: Runoff in our Waterways
October 28, 2018 22:09 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBNitrogen and phosphorus pollution is wreaking havoc on our waterways - notably in the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Great Lakes - and is getting worse every year. Science journalist Virgina Gewin discusses the extent of the problem, remedies that will drastically improve the sustainability of current farming practices, and what it will take for widespread adoption of these innovative methods. Later in the show, Edible Brooklyn’s Editor-in-Chief Ariel Lauren Wilson joins Jenna...
Episode 117: Past Due: The Farm Bill
October 21, 2018 22:40 - 50 minutes - 46 MBThe Farm Bill – the primary legislation passed by Congress that sets national nutrition, agriculture and conservation policy – officially expired on October 1st, with no new legislation to take it's place. So, what now? Helena Bottemiller Evich, Senior Food & Ag Reporter at Politico Pro, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the status of the current bill, the repercussions for our domestic food system, and where we go from here. Powered by Simplecast https://simplecast.com [1]https://www.po...
Episode 116: Big Chicken
October 07, 2018 21:45 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBThe United Nations calls the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria the "the greatest and most urgent global risk," an epidemic that is projected to cost the world $100 trillion (TRILLION) and cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. For a long time, it was thought that antibiotic resistance was only caused by misuse of these drugs in medicine, but in her book ""Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats," author Maryn ...
Episode 115: (Not So) High Times
September 30, 2018 20:39 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBThe abundance and prevalence of CBD products has exploded in recent months – so much so that even Coca-Cola is considering making a line of wellness beverages infused with CBD. With the rapidly changing – and ever confusing – cannabis landscape, journalist Lisa Gill joins host Jenna Liut to shed light on the CBD industry in particular - discussing what it is, how it’s used, and why it has suddenly become so popular. Gill, an expert in the public health and drug field, is the Deputy Editor ...
Episode 114: Eating NAFTA
September 16, 2018 22:30 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBWith the renegotiation of NAFTA currently underway and a new trade agreement close to being finalized, host Jenna Liut welcomes author Alyshia Galvez to the show to discuss the repercussions the deal has had on the U.S. and Mexican food system. Alyshia is a Professor of Latin American and Latino studies at Lehman College of the City University of New York, and she is also the author of the recently published book, “Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies and the Destruction of Mexico,” where she...
Episode 113: A Small Word After All
August 05, 2018 22:15 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBThe agriculture industry, including both U.S. farms and agribusiness, has been undergoing widespread and persistent consolidation for decades. And yet, family farms continue to account for most U.S. food production. Those are among the conclusions of "Three Decades of Consolidation in U.S. Agriculture," a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS). At the same time, three mega-mergers between agricultural chemical and seed producers have been unde...
Episode 112: SNAP Software Snafu
July 29, 2018 17:47 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBIn recent weeks, the Novo Dia Group, an Austin-based company that processes approximately 40% of SNAP transactions at farmers markets nationwide, said it will end its service by July 31st, leaving a big gap in the ability for farmers markets to serve low-income customers. Joining Host Jenna Liut to dig deeper into what exactly happened and the repercussions of Nova Dia’s decision is Leah Douglas, Associate Editor and Staff Writer at the Food & Environment Reporting Network who has covered t...
Episode 111: Got Milk?
July 22, 2018 22:31 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBIf the 1990s has taught us anything, we know that Kate Moss, Tom Brady, and Kermit the Frog certainly do! And that over 220 billion liters of fluid white milk was estimated to be consumed worldwide in 2016. Indeed, milk is one of those ubiquitous refrigerator staples available in vast quantities anywhere food is sold. And yet, despite its extreme popularity, author Mark Kurlansky refers to it as “the most argued over food in history.” In his new book, “Milk! A 10,000 Year Food Fracas,” K...
Episode 110: Taste The Future
July 15, 2018 19:44 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBQuestion: What has 3 times the protein, uses 15 times less water, and produces 2,000 times less methane gas than beef? Answer: crickets! Indeed, many believe that insects will be the food of the future, and crickets are one of the most palatable, sustainable, and nutritious options. Robyn Shapiro, CEO and Founder of Seek Food - makers of cricket protein food brands - joins host Jenna Liut to discuss how her company is working to make eating insects more mainstream in the West. Robyn also t...
Episode 109: How to Feed the World
July 08, 2018 21:36 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBBy 2050 we will have 10 billion mouths to feed in a world profoundly altered by environmental change. This of course begs the question – how will we do this? Joining host Jenna Liut with the inside scoop on what factors need to be addressed in order to achieve global food security is Dr. Ken Foster. Ken is an award-winning professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, where he teaches agricultural price analysis and applied time series analysis. He served as the Head of the D...
Episode 108: A Conversation with Deb Eschmeyer
June 24, 2018 22:34 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBHost Jenna Liut is thrlled to welcome Deb Eschmeyer to the show today. A dedicated and passionate food system reformer, Deb's work has included organic farming; co-founding the national nonprofit, FoodCorps; and serving as the Executive Director of Let’s Move! and the Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition in the Obama Administration. Currently, she is the VP of Communications and Community Affairs at Danone North America. In this episode, we will more about how – in each of these roles – she ...
Episode 107: Water, Water Everywhere
June 03, 2018 23:01 - 47 minutes - 43 MBMichigan, which sits in the middle of one-fifth of the Earth’s surface freshwater and has a higher percentage of surface water than any other American state, has experienced a spate of water related issues in the past few years - from the 2014 Flint water crisis to the Detroit municipality water shutoffs amid a recent announcement from Nestle that it will be increasing the amount of water it bottles and sells from the state. Joining the show today to discuss the current status of these issu...
Episode 106: Nudge, Nudge
April 08, 2018 23:30 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBHave you ever wondered why most grocery stores – despite the chain – more or less have the same floor plan? Or why candy bars are always available at the cash register? The layout of stores and strategic placement of certain items is the result of a purposeful decision-making progress designed to encourage people to buy more of one thing or another. Often, the items offered for sale tend to have a lower nutritional value – helping to fuel high levels of obesity and diet related disease pr...
Episode 105: Interview with Jillian Hishaw, Founding Director of F.A.R.M.S.
March 25, 2018 22:49 - 45 minutes - 41.2 MBJillian Hishaw joins the show to talk about her work as the Founding Director of F.A.R.M.S., a nonprofit located in the South that provides legal services to small farmers and hunger relief services in their community. Her work has largely focused on the aging challenges farmers face, many of which go overlooked and underreported. Host Jenna Liut talks to Jillian about what those issues are, the impact she and her organization have had to date, and what she will be advocating for in the up...
Episode 104: Hemp on the Horizon
March 18, 2018 22:29 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBHemp is a plant that has an enormous opportunity to benefit the american agricultural system in myriad ways and yet has been faced with a series of legal and regulatory issues over the past several decades. Joining the show to give an update on the legality of hemp cultivation in the U.S. and her recent article on the matter, “Hemp is on the Horizon. Will it Change the Game for Farm Country,” is Christina Cooke. Christina is a freelance writer and associate editor at Civil Eats – a daily o...
Episode 103: SNAP Decisions
March 11, 2018 22:16 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBCaitlin Dewey, who covers food policy for Wonkblog at the Washington Post, joins the show to talk all about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, one of the most important, successful, and misunderstood welfare programs in the US today. Perhaps because of these misunderstandings, it is often a target, with many lawmakers actively working to dramatically decrease the amount spent on the program and the number of people it supports. Most recently, the Trump Administration has put forw...
Episode 102: Reaping What We Sow
March 04, 2018 22:05 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBKara 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 farmin...
Episode 101: Magic 8 Ball
February 25, 2018 21:34 - 45 minutes - 42 MBEating Matters welcomes Sam Fromartz, Editor in Chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN), back to the show to discuss the new, annual survey highlighting the top 10 issues their journalists think will make up the news in 2018. From the fight to control seed technology to antibiotic resistance in livestock to the health risks of Roundup, not to mention the Farm Bill renewal, there will be no shortage of things for us to talk about over the next year! Eating Matters is powered...
Episode 100: Rotten
February 04, 2018 15:55 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBChristine Haughney, food and agriculture writer at Politico, joins the show to talk about her work as the investigative reporter of Rotten, Netflix’s new food crime docu-series. ROTTEN covers some of the “greatest hits” in food crime and fraud and shines a light on the pervasive greed and misconduct behind some of the world’s biggest corporations and the global food production industry. From honey to chicken to cod, this series will surprise and shock you, and hopefully encourage you to beco...
Episode 99: A Game of Chicken
January 28, 2018 21:23 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBOn this episode of Eating Matters, we talk about the Farmer Fair Practices Rules (aka the GIPSA Rules) which, as wonky as it may sound, offers a fascinating look into the surprising process that 97% of chickens are produced in this country. These rules would have made it easier for farmers to sue companies they contract with over unfair, discriminatory or deceptive practices, offering more protecting farmers from abusive practices that advocates say are commonly experienced in their industry...
Episode 98.5: For Hannah
January 01, 2018 20:36 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBWe remember Hannah Weiss, who interned with Eating Matters and who we lost suddenly and tragically on December 31 st of 2017. At such a young age, she was poised to making meaningful and lasting changes to our food system that we desperately need and deeply committed to doing so. She was a joy to know and is sorely missed. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast
Episode 98: Improving Our Food System, One Shipping Container At A Time
December 03, 2017 22:14 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBBuilding and sustaining regional food systems has been a much discussed topic this season, and in this episode, host Jenna Liut speaks with Tobias Peggs, Co-Founder and CEO of Square Roots - a company doing just that. Square Roots is an urban farming and entrepreneurship platform that strengthens communities through real food. They discuss how and why Square Roots was launched, what the company hopes to achieve, and the immense impact it can have on how we produce and consume food in this co...
Episode 97: The Farm Bill: A Primer
November 12, 2017 21:46 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBHow much do you know about the Farm Bill? If the answer is "not enough," then this is the episode for you. Paul Wolfe, Senior Policy Specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition gives us a primer on this behemoth legislation that arguably has the biggest impact on our national food and agriculture policies and system. It is not the easiest bill to navigate to say the least, and as it is up for reauthorization in 2018, we wanted to go back to basics to better understand what i...
Episode 96: Rethinking NAFTA
November 06, 2017 00:46 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MBLet's get wonky and talk about how international trade policy effects on our food system. (Best teaser ever.) The re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Mexico and Canada began on August 16, and can have huge repercussions on our food supply, farmers and the land. Ben Lilliston joins Host Jenna Liut to unpack the effects NAFTA has had on our food system over the past twenty years – and the potential effects that renegotiating the agreement could ...
Episode 95: David v. Goliath
October 29, 2017 20:33 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MBHost Jenna Liut speaks with Michael Winik, Founder & CEO of OurHarvest, an online farmers market delivery service working to increase access to locally grown, sustainably sourced and hugely delicious food from the greater New York area. Michael explains why and how his company could make huge changes to our currently broken food system by upending the food retail industry. He also leverages his background as a former investment banker to unpack what the recent Amazon/Whole Foods merger mea...
Episode 94: Saving Seeds (our palates & our food system)
October 22, 2017 19:30 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBSteph Gaylor founded Invincible Summer Farms in 2005 to grow and sell fresh produce, collaborate with chefs and the food community, and save rare seeds. She harvests 3,000 pounds of tomatoes alone (not to mention everything else) by herself while maintaining a seed bank with over 2,000 different varieties of tomatoes. Steph works to preserve the history and story of heirloom plants and is a steward for orphaned varieties and is one of the founding members of the Long Island Regional Seed Co...
Episode 93: To Be Or Not To Be
October 16, 2017 23:07 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBOn this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut digs into the merits of eating a plant based diet, a concept that has gained popularity in the past decade, even giving way to the development of plant based "meats." More recently, Netflix released a very pro-vegan documentary, "What the Health," which equates eating processed meats and eggs to smoking cigarettes in terms of negative health outcomes. Americans have a long history of diet obsessions, and Jenna discusses whether a plant bas...
Episode 92: Food Relief Efforts in Houston
October 01, 2017 20:34 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBOver the past month, we have seen unprecedented devastation caused by multiple hurricanes hitting the US, starting with SouthEast Texas followed in rapid succession by Florida and most recently Puerto Rico. Food relief is of course one of the most important services provided during a natural disaster, and it always seems to me to be an area that receives little attention in terms of what this actually looks like. It is as challenging an undertaking as it is vital. Host Jenna Liut speaks with...
Episode 91: Chef Rick Moonen
September 25, 2017 23:18 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBHost Jenna Liut speaks with Chef Rick Moonen. Known as the “Godfather of Sustainability” among chefs, his chef advocacy for the environment began about 30 years ago with the anti-GMO movement and continues today. He is often called upon to testify in Washington, D.C. and New York on environmental and sustainable fishing policy and is currently focused on encouraging people to eat fish lower down the food chain. He has appeared on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters and held executive chef position...
Episode 90: EatingWell's American Food Heroes
September 17, 2017 19:15 - 41 minutes - 37.5 MBHost Jenna Liut kicks off the Fall 2017 season interviewing Jessie Price, Editor in Chief of EatingWell magazine, which recently published its first annual American Food Heroes awards in their September / October issue. The article profiles ten individuals tackling the biggest food, sustainability and nutrition issues of today. Created to shine a light on the positive changes happening in our food system today, the inaugural awards honor heroes who are working to address a diverse set of ch...
Episode 89: The Future of Meat?
June 18, 2017 19:55 - 43 minutes - 40 MBHost Jenna Liut speaks with Bruce Friedrich, Executive Director of the Good Food Institute, as association that works with scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs to bring clean meat and plant-based alternatives to animal products to market. Bruce explains the process behind creating clean (or "cultured") meat, the policy issues surrounding this burgeoning field and why vegans, vegetarians and omnivores should all be eating these products.
Episode 88: The Power of a Plant
June 04, 2017 20:05 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBHost Jenna Liut speaks with Stephen Ritz, an acclaimed Bronx educator and founder of the Bronx Green Machine, an impact driven, non profit. Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Bronx Green Machine has evolved into a K-12+ model fully integrated into core curriculum. Stephen’s new book, The Power of a Plant, documents his own experience teaching for over 30 years in one of the most marginalized communities in the country, the South Bronx, and how he – quit...
Episode 87: "What's the Matter with Meat?" by Katy Keiffer
May 07, 2017 21:45 - 1 hour - 56 MBTo kick off the summer season of Eating Matters, Jenna is joined in studio by fellow HRN host and author Katy Keiffer to talk about her new book, “What’s the Matter with Meat”? Katy – a meat eater herself – offers a comprehensive look at the industrialized meat system, both at home and abroad, and the negative effects it has on our environment, health and wellbeing.
Episode 86: Satur Farms
April 09, 2017 19:45 - 59 minutes - 55 MBHost Jenna Liut is joined in the studio by Paulette Satur, farmer / owner of Satur Farms on the North Fork of Long Island. We will be discussing how Satur Farms got its start and what makes its model unique as well as gain deeper insight into what issues farmers face every day and how the industry has changed for smaller / mid sized “specialty crop” growers over the past decade.
Episode 85: Supermarket Sweep
March 26, 2017 19:53 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBDemand for locally-grown and served foods has surged in the past few years across various segments within the food industry. On this episode, host Jenna Liut speaks with Rick Stein, VP of Fresh Foods at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), about the degree to which demand has risen, why the market continues to shift in this direction and how both major food retailers and farmers are responding to this demand.
Episode 84: Family Matters
March 19, 2017 19:47 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBOn the episode, host Jenna Liut takes a slight detour from food policy to talk about nutrition for professional athletes...in the 1980s. Joining her to discuss is her dad, Mike Liut, a former goalie in the NHL, and her brother, Blake, who can be heard laughing in the background.
Episode 83: The Secret Life of Bees
March 12, 2017 19:47 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBOn this episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Dr. Reese Halter about the effects of our current agricultural system on bee health, including recent declines in the bee population, its devastating repercussions and what everyone can do to reverse this trend. Dr. Reese is an author and distinguished conservation biologist specializing in Earth's life support systems.
Episode 82: Real Food Revolution
March 05, 2017 22:26 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBOn today's episode of Eating Matters, host Jenna Liut speaks with Congressman Tim Ryan about his book, The Real Food Revolution, in which he writes about the myriad challenges facing our food system, the cumulative effect they have on our health and the environment, and some common sense actions that any of us can undertake as citizens to improve our collective quality of life, now and for future generations. Congressman Ryan represents Ohio’s 13th district, and was first elected to the US H...