
Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)
Food Tank's Danielle Nierenberg chats with the most important folks in the food industry about the most important food news, released every Thursday.
Latest episodes

Jun 5, 2025 • 34min
493. Bird Flu Vaccine Development Disrupted, Cultivated Meat Bans, and a Conversation with Shawna Nelson on Building a Farmer-Powered Future
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. 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.

May 29, 2025 • 40min
492. MAHA Recommendations, Heat Protection for Farm Workers, and a Conversation with Rob Larew on Farming through Climate and Political Uncertainty
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. 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.

May 28, 2025 • 1h 50min
491. Bonus Episode: Improving Health While Managing Healthcare Spending: Enter Food is Medicine
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. 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.

May 22, 2025 • 28min
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
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. 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.

May 15, 2025 • 46min
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
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. 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.

May 8, 2025 • 39min
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
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.

May 2, 2025 • 56min
487. Bonus Episode: Food is Medicine and Eating for Health, Part 2
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. 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.

May 1, 2025 • 1h 3min
486. Food is Medicine and Eating for Health, Part 1
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. 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.

Apr 24, 2025 • 36min
485. Dr. Ismahane Elouafi on the Hope that Lies in Scientific Innovation
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. 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.

Apr 17, 2025 • 41min
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
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. 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.