#041. Selena Ahmed, PhD: a deep dive into tea, the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world

In this episode, Montana State University Professor of Sustainable Food Systems Selena Ahmed PhD notes that “tea is the plant that’s carried me through my career.”  Selena shares insights about the connection between taste and environment, the launch of her business providing education around tea and bitters, the magic of the 3rd infusion of pu’er, and her research around climate change’s impact on tea.''

Selena’s bio:
Selena Ahmed, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Montana State University where she co-leads the Food and Health Lab and serves as the Director for the Translational Biomarkers Core of the Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity. Her research focuses on identifying the socio-ecological determinants of wellbeing in the food system with a focus on wild and cultivated food environments in rural and Indigenous communities. The ultimate translational goal of her collaborative research program is to transform food systems through evidence-based innovations that support human and planetary health. 

She serves as an Advisory Committee Member of People & Plants International; Consultant for the United States Agency for International Development Advancing Nutrition; Committee Member of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Task Force of the American Nutrition Association; Co-Founder of Shoots & Roots Bitters; Research Partner for the Real Food Campaign of the Bionutrient Food Association and; Associate Editor for the journals Elementa, Food Security, Frontiers of Sustainable Food Systems and Frontiers of Nutrition. 

Selena is the co-author of two popular culture books, Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Trade to Tibet and Botany at the Bar: The Art and Science of Making Bitters. She has co-authored over 65 peer-reviewed research articles and two dozen book chapters, technical briefs, and general audience publications.  

Resources:
NSF CNH Tea and Climate Project
Shoots & Roots Bitters
Botany at the Bar
Tea Horse Road 

Selena’s recommended books:
Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice (Plotkin)
The Art of Not Being Governed (Scott)
Why Some Like it Hot: Food, Genes, and Cultural Diversity (Nabhan)