Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)

Latest Episodes:

498. SNAP and Medicaid Suffer in the Budget Bill, Japan Celebrates Food Waste Wins, and a Conversation with Janie Simms Hipp on Building a Food System that Comes to Terms with Reality Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Janie Simms Hipp, President and CEO of Native Agriculture Financial Services. They discuss the barriers farmers face in accessing capital and technical assistance; how the closure of local government offices will hurt rural communities, including Tribal nations; and why we need food and financial systems that come to terms with reality and gives farmers more grace by creating room for them to experiment, make mistakes, and recalibrate. Plus, hear about what the federal tax-and-spending will mean for food and health systems, Japan's progress on food loss and waste, the heatwaves hitting European farmers, and investments that will scale and accelerate climate action.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

497. Christa Barfield on Farming as a Tool for Healing and Empowerment Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Christa Barfield, the Owner and Founder of FarmerJawn, a 128-acre working farm. They discuss the relationships that sustain farmers, a new model of community-oriented corner stores that prioritize healthy foods, and why the way we eat is just as much about ourselves as it is about the generations that come before and after us.

496. Rising Emissions Threaten Crops, What's on at London Climate Action Week, and a Conversation with Michael Grunwald on Feeding the Future Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Michael Grunwald, author of the new book We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. They discuss what land use in agriculture has to do with the climate crisis, whether factory farms should be part of the solution to feed a growing population in a warming world, and why behavior change among eaters is hard but doable. Plus, hear about highlights from London Climate Action Week, the effect of rising greenhouse gas emissions on crop yields, and a new study looking into the link between conventional agriculture practices and rising cancer rates in Iowa.

495. ICE Raids Hit Food and Farm Workers, Fisheries See Progress, and a Conversation with Amesh Adalja on Whether We're Prepared for the Next Pandemic Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Amesh Adalja, a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They discuss the outbreak of avian flu on poultry and dairy cattle farms, the federal funding cuts that are weakening government agencies' ability to track and prevent the spread of the virus, and why the lack of proactivity is cause for concern.

494. Deforestation Declines, Solutions for Diet-Related Illnesses in Kenya, and a Conversation with Daniel Moss on Putting Trust — and Funds — in Agroecology Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Daniel Moss, Co-Director of the Agroecology Fund. They discuss what it means to build a model of trust-based philanthropy, the benefits that agroecology offers to women and youth, and the flexibility that allows for the experimentation inherent in agriculture.

Plus, here about progress being made to halt deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, Kenya's plan to address the rising rate of diet-related diseases, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to remove all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, and the key crops that could lose half their best land for their production by 2100.

493. Bird Flu Vaccine Development Disrupted, Cultivated Meat Bans, and a Conversation with Shawna Nelson on Building a Farmer-Powered Future Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Shawna Nelson, CEO of Organic Valley. They discuss the power of the cooperative business model and the mentorship farmers can find in this network, why it's so important to invest in succession and transition plans to help producers keep the lights on, and what the future holds for organic farming.

Plus hear about the Trump-Vance Administration's decision to cancel its contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine, the latest bans on cultivated meat in the U.S., and budget cuts that affect investment in nature-friendly farming practices in the United Kingdom.

492. MAHA Recommendations, Heat Protection for Farm Workers, and a Conversation with Rob Larew on Farming through Climate and Political Uncertainty May 29, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Rob Larew, President of the National Farmers Union. They talk about the uncertainty farmers are experiencing in the face of changing weather patterns and policies from the Trump-Vance Administration, why cuts to foreign aid affect American food producers, and how recent legislation is pitting farm and nutrition priorities against one another.

Plus, hear about the dietary recommendations contained in the recent report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission, the cancellation of projects from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will impact childhood nutrition and access to education in low-income countries, and a new rule that can protect New Mexico's food and farm workers from extreme heat.

491. Bonus Episode: Improving Health While Managing Healthcare Spending: Enter Food is Medicine May 28, 2025

Show notes

Food Tank, in partnership with the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, recently hosted a luncheon on Capitol Hill to uplift Food is Medicine solutions. This episode of Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg features conversations from the event where speakers discussed the public health and economic benefits of Food is Medicine programs, the opportunities to scale their impact, and the partnerships that can accelerate these efforts.

Speakers include U.S. Members of Congress Vern Buchanan, Buddy Carter, Robin Kelly, Greg Murphy, and Chellie Pingree; Laura Carroll, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Dion Dawson, Dion's Chicago Dream; Kofi Essel, Elevance Health; Erika Hanson, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School; Herman Johnson, U.S. Army Veteran and Food is Medicine program participant; Erin Martin, FreshRx Oklahoma; Crystal McGaffee, ARH Hospital and Food is Medicine program participant; Dariush Mozaffarian, Food is Medicine Institute; Evan Sarris, Kroger Health; Pam Schwartz, Kaiser Permanente; and Dana Thomas, The Rockefeller Foundation.

490. SNAP-Ed on the Chopping Block, Bird Flu in Brazil, and a Conversation with U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks on the 'Intentional Chaos' Created by the Trump-Vance Administration May 22, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks, who recently called for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. They discuss the Senator's concerns with the "irresponsible" and "callous" actions of the Trump-Vance Administration, how cuts to medical research and nutrition assistance programs will harm public health, and advice for navigating uncertain times.

Plus, hear about what the Budget Reconciliation Bill could mean for nutrition assistance, school meals, and nutrition education; what the latest data suggests about efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C; and the first case of avian flu recently confirmed in Brazil.

489. Gene-Edited Pigs for Human Consumption, FDA Stalls on Food Safety Warnings, Farmers Adapt to Water Scarcity, and a Conversation with Matthew Dillon on Organic as an Investment in Future Generations May 15, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Matthew Dillon, Co-CEO of the Organic Trade Association. They discuss why the organic label continues to resonate with eaters, what the budget cuts and staffing reductions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture could mean for food producers, and why support for organic agriculture remains so important for communities today and in the future.

Plus hear about the recent decision to approve CRISPR gene-edited pigs for human consumption in the U.S., a new project that will help Libyan producers farm in some of the driest conditions, and the food safety warnings that aren't reaching the public fast enough.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected