Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)

Latest Episodes:

488. 15,000 Leave USDA, SNAP Cuts, Traditional African Diets, and a conversation with Lisa Moon on the Resilience Offered by Food Banks as Global Crises Spike May 08, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Lisa Moon, President and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. They discuss the thriving grassroots network of food banks operating around the world, the large void left by foreign aid cuts, and the support that food banks offer communities as crises, from natural disasters to conflict, continue to increase.

Plus hear about the workforce reduction at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the most recent proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and new research that demonstrates the importance of traditional and indigenous African crops to global sustainable and healthy diets.

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.

487. Bonus Episode: Food is Medicine and Eating for Health, Part 2 May 02, 2025

Show notes

Food Tank, in partnership with the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, recently hosted a special series on "Food is Medicine and Eating for Health." This webinar features conversations from Part 2 of the event as panelists come together to discuss avenues to scale Food is Medicine programs at the state level, the importance of ensuring communities have access to culturally relevant foods, and why the best Food is Medicine programs serve eaters, farmers, and the planet.

Speakers include Katie Garfield, Harvard Law School's Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation; Devon Klatell, The Rockefeller Foundation; Radha Muthiah, Capital Area Food Bank; Tambra Raye Stevenson, Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA); Chef Sean Sherman, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS); and Lyndsey Waugh of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.

486. Food is Medicine and Eating for Health, Part 1 May 01, 2025

Show notes

Food Tank, in partnership with the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, recently hosted a special series on "Food is Medicine and Eating for Health." This webinar features conversations from Part 1 of the event as panelists come together to discuss what it means to implement holistic approaches to improving access to healthy, nourishing foods; the empowerment of youth; and how we ensure that the opportunities presented by Food is Medicine aren't wasted.

Speakers include Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective; Dr. Kofi Essel, Elevance Health; Rachel Fisher, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Kathleen Merrigan, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University; A-dae Romero-Briones, First Nations Development Institute; Alice Waters, American chef, restaurateur, and author; and Lyndsey Waugh, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.

Plus, hear about the staffing cuts expected at the world's largest humanitarian organization, the push for countries to release their updated climate action plans, and the new legislation that could make it harder to win a legal case against the agrochemical company Bayer.

485. Dr. Ismahane Elouafi on the Hope that Lies in Scientific Innovation Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, the world's largest global agricultural innovation network. They talk about the impact of global events on farmers, the hope that science brings and why it's so important to invest in research, and the technology that will make careers in agriculture more appealing to young people.

484. The U.S. Pushes for a 'Back to Basics' Approach at FAO, the Latest on Humanitarian Aid Funding, Advice for Young People Coming of Age, and a conversation with Will Masters on the Billions of Eaters Who Can't Afford a Healthy Diet Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Will Masters, a Professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, with a secondary appointment in Tufts University's Department of Economics. They talk about U.S. tariffs on imported goods, how measuring the cost of a healthy diet can drive policy change, and the frustrating setback the world is seeing in efforts to advance global food and nutrition security. Plus hear about the recent remarks from the U.S., calling for a "back to basics" approach at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, where funding for humanitarian aid stands after additional cuts, and one journalist's advice for young people.

483. A Nutritionist's Thoughts on MAHA, Strengthening Indigenous Foodways, Staff Cuts at USDA, and a conversation with Andy Jarvis on the Creativity, Innovation, and Funding Needed for Food Systems Transformation Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Andy Jarvis, Director for the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. They discuss the kind of solutions emerging in response to today's crises, the need to re-orient existing money to drive food and agriculture systems transformation, and Jarvis' faith in human ingenuity. Plus, hear about author and nutritionist Marion Nestle's on the Make America Healthy Again movement, the steps that one chef is taking to strengthen Indigenous foodways, and the growing uncertainty about the future of USDA and the agricultural communities they serve.

482. Earthquake in Southeast Asia, What a Drop of Global Aid Means for Child Hunger, and a Conversation with Kimber Lanning on Building an Inclusive Food Economy Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Kimber Lanning, Founder and CEO of Local First Arizona. They discuss the value of desert-friendly crops in a changing climate, the fear that many immigrant business leaders are living with, and the power that communities can build through place-based, local economies. Plus, hear about the limited U.S. response to the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,000 in Myanmar and the devastating effects that a reduction in aid from countries in the Global North will have on hunger and child mortality.

481. Farmers' Discontent Grows, a New Ban on GMO Corn, Legislation to Protect Pollinators, and a conversation with Dr. Antony Chapoto on Strengthening Agricultural Research in African Countries Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Dr. Antony Chapoto, Executive Director of the African Network of Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ANAPRI) Secretariat. They discuss the importance of localization and capacity building to improve food and agriculture systems across Africa, the effect that soil degradation has had on farmers' productivity, and the importance of providing a pathway for young people to retain talent in Africa.

Plus, hear how farmers are responding to the U.S. government's recent funding decisions, how Mexico is taking a stand against genetically modified corn to protect biodiversity and the country's cultural heritage, and recent steps in the United Kingdom to protect pollinators.

480. Alissa Vieira and Lindsay Williams on the Impact of the Federal Grant Freezes on Small Food Businesses Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Alissa Viera and Lindsay Williams of the Toledo, Ohio-based ice cream manufacturer Swanky Scoops. They discuss the grants that allow local economies to flourish, the impact that delays in the reimbursement of funds can have on small food businesses, and how federal grant freezes — even when temporary — can undermine trust.

479: Sam Acho and Karen Washington on Not Succumbing to Fear in Uncertain Times Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Food Tank, in partnership with Driscoll's and Huston-Tillotson University and with the support of Organic Valley, recently hosted the "All Things Food" Summit at SXSW. This bonus episode of Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg features two conversations from the event.

First, Dani sits down for a fireside chat with Sam Acho, an author, humanitarian, ESPN analyst, a nine-year NFL veteran, and the Director of Human Capital at AWM Capital. They discuss how Acho worked with young entrepreneurs in Chicago to transform a liquor store into a food mart, the importance of letting the ego die to drive progress, and what it looks like to support a community as they build the future they want to see.

Then, Dani is joined by Karen Washington, a farmer, activist, author, and the Co-Owner of Rise & Root Farm. They discuss the intention behind the chaos and confusion that many feel today; organizing to leverage communal wealth; and the recent attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — and what it looks like to fight back.

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