This week on “What Doesn’t Kill You”, Katy Keiffer opens with her aches and pains regarding new and creative ways teenagers are getting a buzz on. Later, she chats with Leah Garces, e **xecutive director of Compassion in World Farming USA, about Target’s and other large chain’s dedication to end cage and crate farming. ** “We can’t address climate change unless we address our animal product consumption levels” [45:00]–Leah Garces

Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded ROC, which now has more than 18,000 worker members, 150 employer partners, and several thousand consumer members in over 30 cities nationwide. The story of Saru and her co-founder’s work founding ROC has been chronicled in the book The Accidental American. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was profiled in the New York Times “Public Lives” section in 2005, named one of Crain’s “40 Under 40” in 2008, was 1010 Wins’ “Newsmaker of the Year” and New York Magazine’s “Influentials” of New York City. She was listed in CNN’s “Top 10 Visionary Women” and recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014, and a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2015. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press, 2013), a national bestseller, and has appeared on many news programs. Her new book is Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (Oxford University Press). “There’s a lot of momentum to organize whatever way, whether it’s through a union or otherwise, just to get together and collectively demand change, because it’s just too long in coming, it has to be now.” [32:45]  – Saru Jayaraman  

This week on _ **What Doesn’t Kill You, ** _Katy Keiffer is joined by Claire Benjamin, Executive Director of Food Policy Action. Food Policy Action was established in 2012 through a collaboration of national food policy leaders in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. Our goal is to change the national dialogue on food policy by educating the public on how elected officials are voting on these issues. Through education and the National Food Policy Scorecard, more people will be armed with the information they need to vote with their forks and elect more food policy leaders across the country. Claire oversees operations of Food Policy Action, including publication of the National Food Policy Scorecard and the organization’s public education and advocacy work. Prior to her work at Food Policy Action, Claire worked for nine years on food and agriculture issues on capitol hill. From 2008-2013, Claire served as Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s legislative director. In this role, Claire led the Congresswoman’s efforts to reform agriculture and food policy. Claire grew up in Vermont and attended the University of Vermont. She resides in Washington, DC.

On today’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You, journalist Richard Manning shows the link between big agriculture and big money in politics. Manning is an environmental author and journalist, whose work has explored the enormous impact that agriculture has had on human civilization and evolution. One of the consequences of this reliance on a steady food supply is the issue of agricultural pollution – and whose responsibility it is to deal with it. But, as Manning discusses, political realities often present an obstacle to dealing with these mounting problems. “Industrial agriculture is like a corporation, it’s not a community at all.” [11:00] – Richard Manning  

Learn more about a precedent setting lawsuit against upriver counties for municipal water pollution in Des Moines, Iowa on today’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You. Katy Keiffer is joined by Bill Stowe, CEO of Des Moines Water Works. In 1919, Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) was formed as an independently owned and operated public utility, deriving its legal status from the Constitution of the State of Iowa and the statutes enacted by the Iowa General Assembly. Its legal authority is set out in Article III, Sec. 38A, Constitution of the State of Iowa; Chapter 388, Code of Iowa; and Division V, Chapter 384, Code of Iowa. The Board of Trustees has all of the powers of the City Council to operate the utility, except for levying taxes. The utility is owned by the water rate payers. The Board of Water Works Trustees of the City of Des Moines, Iowa, consists of five members, appointed by the Mayor of the City of Des Moines for a term of six years. The Board of Water Works Trustees appoints Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager. “90% of the [water] nutrient problem is from agriculture.” [20:00] — Bill Stowe “A sales tax to deal with water quality problems. Why should everybody else have to pay for agricultural pollution?” [23:00] — Katy Keiffer  

Katy Keiffer is charged up and is continuing her politically themed shows with a brand new episode of What Doesn’t Kill You that features special guest ** ** Congressman Tim Ryan. Tim Ryan has been a strong advocate for progressive agricultural policy. He’s also the author of The Real Food Revolution: Healthy Eating, Green Groceries, and the Return of the American Family Farm. Learn more about his votes for food justice, the Farm Bill and more.

This week on _ What Doesn’t Kill You _, host Katy Keiffer is on the line with Twilight Greenaway, Managing Editor of Civil Eats.  Civil Eats is a daily news source for critical thought about the American food system, publishing stories that shift the conversation around sustainable agriculture in an effort to build economically and socially just communities.  The duo comment on the biggest food and food policy related stories published throughout the past year as well as highlighting Twilight’s article about the National Food Policy for the 21st Century and the Plate of the Union.  How is the food platform being weaved into the coming election cycle? Why is the mainstream media slow to engage these important topics? Tune in for further insight! “We know that our wages are stagnating, so as much as people would like to be able to vote with their dollar, their dollars are limited and that puts consumers in a bind.” [17:00] “Food is a blatant example of income inequality.” [32:45] –Twilight Greenaway on What Doesn’t Kill You  

Is the fossil fuel industry too big to be held accountable by the US Government? Tune in for a spirited conversation on our government, the environment, lobbying mechanisms and how they work as Katy Keiffer is joined by Senator from Rhode Island to the US Congress, Sheldon Whitehouse. Sheldon is the junior United States Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party and previously served as a United States Attorney from 1993 to 1998 and as the Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1999 to 2003.   Whitehouse-062609-18447- 0005   “The oceans are really climate change’s true witness.” [08:00] “I think corporate America, in some respects, doesn’t really want to come and deal with Congress.” [22:00]

On the first episode of What Doesn’t Kill You  in 2016, Katy recaps last years news stories and prepares for the year ahead. Hear why the Future of Food Manifesto might have been the most important story of the year and get a refresher on topics like antibiotic resistance, anti-trust issues and the e-coli Chipotle outbreak! Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories,NIAID,NIH “When we sell agricultural products in this country, we’re not just selling the product. It’s also the soil, the water, the various components that go into creating that product.” [10:00]

Blow the whistle with Amanda Hitt and Katy Keiffer on a brand new episode of **What Doesn’t Kill You. ** Amanda Hitt is the Director of The Government Accountability Project’s Food Integrity Campaign (FIC). Amanda oversees FIC operations and is responsible for ensuring that FIC fulfills its mission of enhancing food integrity by facilitating truth telling. To do this, Amanda works closely with partner organizations, clients, legislators, and the media to alter the balance of power between the food industry and consumers. She acts to protect the rights of those who speak out against the practices that compromise food integrity, and empower whistleblowers and food activists. “Things are not in a good place when it comes to the industrialized food industry.” [14:00]