Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that we already produce enough food to more than “feed the world?” -- we just don’t provide adequate access to all.  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for  her interview with John Reganold, Ph.D.,  Professor of Soil Science and Agroecology at WA State University in Pullman. Reganold is considered one of the founding and premier scientists in the world in sustainable and organic agricultural research. He discusses his research measuring the effects of organic, integrated and conventional farming systems on productivity, financial performance, environmental quality, and social wellbeing on five continents.His popular blog post for the Union of Concerned Scientists http://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/organic-agriculture-is-key-to-helping-feed-the-world-sustainably discusses organic agriculture’s contribution to helping to feed the world sustainably. Reganold believes that we need a much broader conversation when we speak about “feeding the world,” including: population growth, and planetary boundaries, such as nutrient pollution, climate change, and land clearing. He also suggests ways the upcoming Farm Bill could support more sustainable farming practices. Related website:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293014068_Organic_agriculture_in_the_twenty-first_century 

Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., environmental health scientist, Chief Science Advisor to the Grace Communications Foundation, and former executive director of the Food Safety and Sustainability Center for Consumer Reports, identifies food safety risks, trustworthy and questionable food labels, and green noise in the marketplace.Greener Choices

Guest Maya Shetreat, M.D., integrative pediatric neurologist and author of The Dirt Cure: Healthy Food, Healthy Gut, Happy Child, explains rising rates of childhood illness, and the critical but under-valued connection between health and our natural environmentMaya Shetreat-Klein, MD

Guest Andy Sarjahani, M.S., R.D., documentary film maker discusses his film, Downstream People about the politics and public health threats of an industrial hog facility on water quality in the National Buffalo River watershedDownstream People

Guest Mary Otto, author of Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America. Otto describes her investigation into the death of 12 year-old Deamonte Driver due to an untreated abscessed tooth, the relationship between oral health and overall well-being, the marketing of cosmetic dentistry, and the injustice of a healthcare system that denies basic access to dental careTeeth

Guest Andy Fisher, author of Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups, discusses charity vs. policy, and the root causes (and cures) of hunger in AmericaBig Hunger

Guest Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., former Director of the Sleep, Metabolism and Health Center at the University of Chicago, describes the impact of sleep disturbance/deprivation on health, including diabetes, obesity, and immunity, plus tips to improve sleep.f.lux

Guest Vera Krischik, Ph.D., entomologist, Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Ecosystems at the University of Minnesota describes the critical role of insects in our ecosystem, and the harmful effects of ubiquitous, sub-lethal levels of neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinatorsBeyond Pesticides Forum presentation

Guest David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., endocrinologist, Professor of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and Time magazines obesity warrior, discusses his book, Always Hungry? Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells and Lose Weight Permanently.TAKE BACK CONTROL

Guest Fred vom Saal, Ph.D., Curators Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri and co-editor of Integrative Environmental Medicine, describes how contaminants, including pesticide residues, BPA and phthalates, enter our food supply and affect public health in our challenging political and regulatory systemIntegrative Environmental Medicine