Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Zitouni Ould-Dada, a Senior Advisor with the FAIRR Initiative, an investor network representing US$80 trillion dollars in assets under management, and former former Depurty Director at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. They discuss the clarity investors need from governments, the urgency of replacing words with actions if we are going to keep pace with today’s crises, and the powerful lessons the energy sector can offer food and agriculture systems to speed up their transformation. Plus, hear about the new steps Mexico is taking to address the invasion of a harmful seaweed, indications that the MAHA Commission is walking back its criticism of glyphosate, what new findings reveal about gaps in soil health research, and the challenges facing the World Food Programme as they work to serve Kenya’s refugee communities.  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.

Erin Martin, Founder and Executive Director of FreshRx Oklahoma, dives into the revolutionary concept of food as medicine. She shares insights on a new Oklahoma law poised to enhance healthcare by allowing doctors to prescribe fresh produce. Erin emphasizes how these initiatives not only improve patient health but also support local farmers. They discuss the importance of community empowerment, the bipartisan backing behind health-related food policies, and the transformative power of integrating agriculture with healthcare for a healthier society.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Moti Jaleta, a Senior Agricultural Economist with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). They discuss the soil erosion happening beneath farmers' feet, how food producers in sub-Saharan Africa are responding to the crisis through conservation practices, and the new AI tools helping communities adapt to changing weather patterns. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with the 2025 World Food Prize laureate, Dr. Mariangela Hungria about her award-winning research that has helped farmers boost yields and improve their livelihoods while using fewer chemicals. They discuss the social and environmental benefits of this work, what researchers can learn when working hand-in-hand with farmers, and Hungria’s path as a woman in STEM. Plus, hear about Kenyan eaters’ rising interest in Indigenous crops, a new platform that promises to help Tanzanian farmers access technical assistance, and what the latest data tell us about efforts to end global child malnutrition. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Morgan Gillespy, Executive Director of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU). They discuss whether it’s a lack of understanding or political will that keeps policymakers from addressing the hidden costs of food and agriculture systems, why she’s hopeful that true action will come from the 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference in Brazil, and the small actions that can drive big breakthroughs in food systems transformation. Plus, hear why a leading wildlife conservation organization is sounding the alarm on biodiversity decline in Africa’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands; the Trump-Vance Administration’s response to the detainment of farm workers, and whether regenerative agriculture programs from some of the biggest food and beverage companies make the grade.  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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Janie Simms Hipp, President and CEO of Native Agriculture Financial Services. They discuss the barriers farmers face in accessing capital and technical assistance; how the closure of local government offices will hurt rural communities, including Tribal nations; and why we need food and financial systems that come to terms with reality and gives farmers more grace by creating room for them to experiment, make mistakes, and recalibrate. Plus, hear about what the federal tax-and-spending will mean for food and health systems, Japan’s progress on food loss and waste, the heatwaves hitting European farmers, and investments that will scale and accelerate climate action. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Christa Barfield, the Owner and Founder of FarmerJawn, a 128-acre working farm. They discuss the relationships that sustain farmers, a new model of community-oriented corner stores that prioritize healthy foods, and why the way we eat is just as much about ourselves as it is about the generations that come before and after us. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Michael Grunwald, author of the new book We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. They discuss what land use in agriculture has to do with the climate crisis, whether factory farms should be part of the solution to feed a growing population in a warming world, and why behavior change among eaters is hard but doable. Plus, hear about highlights from London Climate Action Week, the effect of rising greenhouse gas emissions on crop yields, and a new study looking into the link between conventional agriculture practices and rising cancer rates in Iowa. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Amesh Adalja, a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They discuss the outbreak of avian flu on poultry and dairy cattle farms, the federal funding cuts that are weakening government agencies’ ability to track and prevent the spread of the virus, and why the lack of proactivity is cause for concern. 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.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Daniel Moss, Co-Director of the Agroecology Fund. They discuss what it means to build a model of trust-based philanthropy, the benefits that agroecology offers to women and youth, and the flexibility that allows for the experimentation inherent in agriculture. Plus, here about progress being made to halt deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, Kenya’s plan to address the rising rate of diet-related diseases, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to remove all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, and the key crops that could lose half their best land for their production by 2100.  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.