Add Passion and Stir

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The World is Watching: New Ideas in the Fight Against Hunger (Part II) Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

This week’s episode picks up where last week’s conversation left off. The World Food Programme’s Carmen Burbano, chef Floyd Cardoz and Billy Shore delve more deeply into international school feeding programs, cooking with indigenous foods, and the role chefs can play in bringing attention to these issues. “Every country in the world is trying to feed its school children. Keeping kids, specifically girls, in school can really be the key to… stopping the cycle of poverty and hunger,” says Burbano. Cardoz discusses how chefs can shine a spotlight on an issue. “Chefs do have a voice now. These [TV] shows are making us superstars, but no matter which show we are on, we care about what we do, we care about feeding and keeping people happy,” says Cardoz.

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The Whole World is Watching: New Ideas in the Fight Against Hunger Nov 28, 2018

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Can the U.S. farm-to-table movement inform anti-hunger programs in developing countries? This episode takes an international turn with renowned chef and restaurateur Floyd Cardoz (Bombay Bread Bar, Bombay Canteen, O Pedro) and World Food Programme (WFP) School Feeding Division Director Carmen Burbano for part one of a two-part conversation with host Billy Shore. Indian-born Cardoz says that while the focus on using local ingredients in the U.S. has created economic opportunities for small farmers and suppliers here, people in India still prefer imported food. His restaurants in India are teaching people that traditional, local ingredients can be cool. “If we sustain the community, we sustain the food source, food gets cheaper, more people eat,” he explains. Burbano discusses how WFP connects the demand created by its school feeding programs to smallholder farmer markets in many countries. “This has generated income and livelihood opportunities for millions of farmers, many of them women… and kids are automatically getting more nutritious food,” she notes.

In addition to farmers, Burbano discusses developing networks to disseminate nutrition information to pregnant women and young mothers. In Peru, which was battling a childhood anemia epidemic, WFP teamed up with the country’s chef community to create a cooking show (Cocinar con Causa) around better eating and cooking habits to fight anemia. “Chefs have a very important influence on how people choose to eat what they eat,” she says. In India, Cardoz is trying to overcome cultural barriers to teach his community to give back. “Indians believe in giving to the gods, but not so much giving to the community,” he says. He founded a culinary event that brings the community together to raise money for designated causes. “People do want to give, but they don’t know how,” he explains.

Join us for this important conversation about innovative solutions to international hunger issues.

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A Fire Has Been Lit: Activating for Social Justice Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

A Fire Has Been Lit: Activating for Social Justice

Americans everywhere are asking whether values like equality and upward mobility are being advanced or set back by President Trump’s proposed budget cuts. In this time of heated debate, Add Passion and Stir guests Chef Matt Jennings of Townsman in Boston and William Foster of The Bridgespan Group share their expertise on how we can activate the sense of urgency many of us feel right now. These two leaders chat with Share Our Strength founder and CEO Billy Shore about how they and others are leading change right now during this ‘scary time’ for social justice. Chef Matt notes that “A fire has been lit… and it’s burning hotter and brighter than ever before,” and William believes that “threats and challenges can bring out greatness.” Chef Matt describes the work he is doing connecting with his restaurant guests, the broader community, and his own employees to ensure everyone has access to food and a fair standard of living. William outlines how he is helping both philanthropists and social justice nonprofits see the opportunities to drive transformative change in this unsettled time. Be inspired by how these industries are rallying to make it better.

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Psychological Change: Bringing Dignity to Poor Communities Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

How can we move poor communities from hopelessness to hopefulness? In this fascinating episode of

Add Passion and Stir, Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO of Heifer International, and Matt Bell, chef and

owner of South on Main restaurant in Little Rock, share insights about creating value in poor communities

with hosts Debbie and Billy Shore. Ferrari speaks about the success Heifer International has had in poor

agricultural communities throughout the world by driving social psychological change before anything

else. “We work with communities that could almost be described as clinically depressed...the despair is so

deep…they feel condemned to this situation,” he says. Heifer uses value-based training to demonstrate to

people their own ability and capacity to make change. “Without that psychological shift, nothing we do, no

animal, no training will actually catch,” he notes. Bell has first-hand knowledge of the success of this

model in Arkansas. He sources his chickens from Grassroots Farm Cooperative, a cooperative of 10

formerly struggling small farms in Little Rock that was formed with the help of Heifer International to meet

the demand of the growing market. “My understanding of Heifer at the time was you buy a cow and

someone somewhere gets a cow. I didn’t understand this small business component. I didn’t understand

it could happen in Arkansas,” says Bell.

Heifer International provides resources, capital, and knowledge to help enable small farmers to generate

sustainable income, which gets cycled back into their communities creating opportunities for building

schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings and funding small businesses.

Ferrari describes a program with female farmers in Nepal which is creating a goat meat value-chain by

working with banks to fund this system. There are now 150,000 women organized into small self-help

groups, which organize into larger co-ops and then an even larger union. “They are now feeling the

dignity of being economically self-reliant,” he concludes. Heifer International measures success by giving

people a ‘living income,’ which is a carefully calculated value that is “very complicated…but basically lets

farmers live a life of dignity,” says Ferrari. Bell recalls his childhood when parents in his community

created an informal system to ensure one little boy growing up in poverty always had food. “A group of

moms would take turns packing and extra lunch for Daniel, and they would say, ‘Make sure you give this

to Daniel before you get to class, so there’s no stigma,’” he remembers. Growing up on a cattle ranch

also gave him a unique perspective on the food chain. “An understanding of that gives us more empathy

into how we tackle hunger issues worldwide and locally.” Bell’s values led him to become a passionate

supporter of the No Kid Hungry campaign.

Get inspired by this sincere discussion about ending hunger and poverty.

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Putting the Fate of the World in the Hands of Moms Oct 31, 2018

Show notes

Does the health of future generations depend on empowering women? 1,000 Days Founder and Executive Director Lucy Martinez Sullivan and noted sommelier and Society Fair (Alexandria, VA) General Manager Nadine Brown talk to Debbie and Billy Shore about the long-term consequences of poor nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood. Sullivan shares that this is the period when a child’s brain development is crucial. “If we care about kids… we actually have to care about their mothers. If we don’t get kids off to the right start, we’re going to pay for that later down the road in higher health care costs and lower economic productivity,” she explains. Unfortunately, Brown sees today’s political climate working against women and families that struggle with food security. “[There’s a belief that] you’ve done something to put yourself in this place - there’s a little bit of blame,” she says.

Both guests are daughters of immigrant mothers who helped set them on the right path and also mothers themselves. They agree that motherhood inspires them to advocate for childhood nutrition and food security. “When I started this work, it was sort of an intellectual passion. Then when I got pregnant and went through that journey myself, it became an emotional passion,” says Sullivan. Brown also believes becoming a mother deepened her sense of community. “Feeding people is such a personal thing, giving people nourishment, feeding people is love,” she says. “I think everybody feels that tremendous sense of responsibility when they have a child. They feel responsibility for everybody in a way they didn’t before,” concludes Debbie Shore.

Get inspired by this deeply personal conversation among fierce advocates for children.

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A First Lady Breaks New Ground in the Fight to Save Our Kids Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

How do we inspire resiliency and hope in the kids who need them the most? First Lady of Massachusetts Lauren Baker and Boston restaurateur Chris Himmel (Grill 23, Post 390, Harvest, Bistro du Midi) join host Billy Shore for a heartfelt conversation about how creating positive experiences can have a profound impact on underprivileged kids. Baker discusses her work for the Wonderfund, which partners with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to provide comfort and dignity to children. These comforts can be as simple as buying a young boy in foster care a baseball glove. “He was able to play little league, engage with his friends, and be part of his community. That’s a moment that really matters for a child,” she explains. Himmel is very intentional about finding causes that he and his restaurants can support that have a direct impact on kids. “If you really care, you can find a way to make a difference. What we get is so much more because our team sees first-hand the difference they can make,” he says of the hands-on programs his restaurants support, including exposing hundreds of kids to farms with Green Growers and the Boys & Girls Club.

First Lady Baker feels that all children deserve support. “No child is responsible for trauma that happens. Kids are dependent on the adults in their lives for survival and when the adults aren’t able for whatever reason to provide for them, the child is the one who suffers,” she says. Himmel feels that immigrants are another vulnerable group who deserve support. “From my standpoint, we couldn’t operate without people who were able to immigrate into our country. If there is additional red tape that prevents additional people from being able to come to our country and make a life for themselves, it’s not just hurting them, it’s hurting our industry and subsequently a lot of other industries,” he believes.

Listen to these two committed children’s advocates discuss their motivations and the impact that simple acts can have on a child’s life.

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Rethinking the “Cost” of Nutrition Programs Oct 17, 2018

Show notes

Is food the key to solving our healthcare crisis? In this episode marking the two-year anniversary of Add Passion and Stir, Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Washington DC Chef Todd Gray (Equinox, Manna) discuss nutrition as the root cause of our spiraling healthcare costs and the role of Congress with Debbie and Billy Shore. “Food is medicine. What we eat determines our health outcomes in a whole range of areas,” says Congressman McGovern. “We are cooking and operating our restaurant in the way that we are living our lives. I have so many customers changing the way they eat for a multitude of reasons many of them health reasons,” says five-time James Beard Foundation nominee Gray of his healthy vegetable-forward menus that have established him as a leader in the DC sustainable food movement.

McGovern wants to reframe the debate over food programs like SNAP from how much they cost to how much they save. “If we can show you over a ten-year period that you could actually save money, then why would [The Congressional Budget Office] score it as a cost? Hunger and food insecurity in Massachusetts costs about $2.4B a year in avoidable health care costs,” he says. The guests agree that hunger is ultimately a political problem. “We have the food, we have the money, we have the knowledge of what we need to do, we have the infrastructure… we have everything but the political will,” explains McGovern.

Listen to these powerful anti-hunger crusaders talk about how they fight for healthier communities.

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Confronting Addiction’s Demons Oct 10, 2018

Show notes

With so many social justice problems to solve, where do we start? Bread for the World President David Beckmann and Chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern talk to Debbie and Billy Shore about social justice causes and why a focus on hunger can impact other problems as well. “Hunger is an organizing center. If you’re going to reduce hunger, it’s not enough to give people food assistance,” says Beckmann. Zimmern, a tireless food security advocate, agrees. “You’ve got to start somewhere… food justice, I use it to talk about everything from addiction to adoption from jobs programs to the crime issues in our country,” he says. They discuss the connection of food and economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, and healthcare.

Both guests and the Shores, who lead the No Kid Hungry campaign, believe the federal government needs to take a leading role in the fight against hunger at home and abroad. “It is no longer sufficient to do fundraisers where we cook a fancy meal… What became obvious is that we needed to change laws, we had to get to Washington,” says Zimmern. Beckmann notes the success of both domestic and international programs like SNAP and the Global Food Security Act and sees grassroots pressure as the key to getting government to act. “If we vote, if we make it clear that we want to help people in need, the members of Congress will listen to people back home,” he says.

Get inspired by these leaders who have been at the forefront of the anti-hunger movement for decades.

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The Other Side of Passion: Mental Health in The Food World Oct 03, 2018

Show notes

Why do so many restaurant workers struggle with mental health issues and what can be done to help? Food and culture writer Kat Kinsman of Time’s Extra Crispy and NYC restaurateur Will Guidara (Eleven Madison Park, NoMad, Made Nice) talk to host Billy Shore about hospitality and mental health challenges in the food world. Kinsman launched the website Chefs with Issues in 2016 to help bring attention to this problem. “I always tell people, ‘either you have your line cook cry in front of you, or you cry at their funeral’,” she says. Guidara agrees. “Our industry struggles with embracing vulnerability… that’s what gets us,” he says.

Kinsman’s book, Hi, Anxiety! Life with a bad case of nerves, tries to show the reality of what anxiety looks like. “It’s real, it’s pervasive, and has affected every area of my life,” she shares. Guidara talks about the conditions in restaurants that can bring out stress, anxiety and more serious mental health conditions. “Any time you combine… relentless intensity - not only in expectations but in the number of hours you’re working - with an environment where it’s not cool to look weak leads to this situation,” he says. “Our profession needs people doing the things you’re doing now more than ever before,” he tells Kinsman gratefully.

Listen to this critically important conversation that explores mental health and what is being done to help the people who nourish us.

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The Power of Imagination to Bridge the World's Divides Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

How does imagination inspire us to make a difference? Partners In Health Co–Founder Ophelia Dahl and Boston Globe Food Writer and Restaurant Critic Devra First join Billy Shore to discuss community and culture, tackling complex problems, and the role of imagination in success. Partners In Health focuses on long-term, systems-level healthcare solutions for some of the world’s most impoverished communities. “We... show that if you not only build a clinic, but you also provide jobs and train people, you’re going to lift the economy of the entire community,” explains Dahl. First is known for infusing her food writing with social commentary. “I think that a restaurant critic’s role ultimately is that of consumer advocate. You can illustrate human issues through food very clearly,” she says.

Billy Shore asks both guests for career advice for young people beginning their careers. “Reach out to people, talk to people… get your voice out there,” First advises aspiring writers. The seeds for Partners In Health were sown when Dahl volunteered at a clinic in Haiti at the age of 18. “How important it is that you make sure that you’re in a place where your imagination can get to work…I did not have a plan. You really only know your story in hindsight,” she believes.

Join us for this perceptive and inspiring conversation about food, culture and how to serve those most in need.

Resources and Mentions:

· No Kid Hungry (nokidhungry.org): Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending child hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day.

· Devra First is the Boston Globe’s food writer and restaurant critic. She writes features about the world of food, restaurant reviews, and critical pieces exploring the cultural and societal meaning of food and restaurants. First has worked at the Globe as a writer and editor since 2000. She was previously the Globe’s food editor. She has also served as assistant arts editor in the Globe’s Living/Arts department and worked at the Boston Phoenix. First is originally from New York.

· The Boston Globe is New England’s largest news gathering organization. Since its creation in 1852, it has won 26 Pulitzer Prizes. Historically The Globe has been considered “one of the nation’s most prestigious papers.”

· Ophelia Dahl is a co-founder of Partners In Health. She has been advocating for the health and rights of poor people for nearly 30 years. In 1983, she volunteered at the small Eye Care Haiti clinic in Haiti’s impoverished Central Plateau. There she met Paul Farmer, and they have been working together ever since to deliver high-quality health care to the destitute sick. Dahl has served as chair of the board since 2000 and served as executive director from 2001 to 2015. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the recipient of the Union Medal by Union Theological Seminary. Dahl is chairman of Dahl & Dahl LLP, which manages the literary estate of her late father, the writer Roald Dahl. She also serves as vice president on the board of Roald Dahl’s Museum and Story Centre.

· Partners In Health provides preferential health care options for the poor. By establishing long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty, Partners In Health strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair. They draw on the resources of the world’s leading medical and academic institutions and on the lived experience of the world’s poorest and sickest communities. Its mission is both medical and moral. It is based on solidarity, rather than charity alone.

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