Fair Trade: Good for farmers, the land, consumers—and business
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
started out as an anti-capitalist labor organizer, working with coffee farmers in Nicaragua in the 1980s. Over time he saw that what growers needed most was a fair price for their product––and so began his work as a Fair Trade advocate. He returned to the US to study business, and founded , where he was CEO for 26 years. Winner of many awards for social and ethical innovation, he’s author of the new book, .
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Federal fiasco for farmers
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Since the new administration took office, programs benefitting farmers have been slashed, frozen, paused, and canceled––and the effect is leaving agrarians in a tough position. Carolina Mueller, Associate Coalition Director of the , and Leah Ricci, Interim Executive Director of join us on today's podcast to talk about what they're hearing from folks on the ground, what resources are available to help people navigate, and what ordinary citizens can do to make their voices heard.
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Let it Flow: Restoring balance to parched and flooded landscapes
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Minni Jain and Philip Franses are co-founders of , and they are co-authors of the new book, . In this podcast they explore the process of helping communities around the world to restore streams and rivers, prevent flooding, and recover local water wisdom. For decades they have been working to help communities regenerate their landscapes, using traditional methods that can be implemented and maintained by the communities themselves. The book, recently published by by , tells the stories of people around the world whose land and ways of life have been upended by colonialism and...
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Landscape restoration: letting nature do the work
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Bill Zeedyk restores landscapes—streams, wetlands, even rural roads—by using simple, low-tech tools and letting nature do most of the work. The result is healthy, lush desert ecosystems. Filmmaker Renea Roberts' recently released a five-part documentary series about his work, .
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Ducks, cows, and resilience
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Since the 1930s, has been protecting habitat for ducks and other migrating waterfowl, and has conserved over 18 million acres of wetlands and bird habitat in North America and beyond. Founded by hunters, the organization originally focused on duck breeding habitat in Canadian prairie lands. Over the decades their conservation work expanded to including the US, Mexico, and other parts of Latin America, and embraces both public and private lands. We talk with Billy Gascoigne is DU's Director of Agriculture & Strategic Partnerships, and Ryan Taylor, Director Of Public Policy for...
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Animal welfare is good for everyone—including farmers
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Adam Mason is Senior Manager of Farm Animal Welfare and Environmental Policy at the , the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In our conversation he talks about their multi-pronged approach to getting animals out of buildings and into cruelty-free lives in which they can express their natural instincts and behaviors. Farmers who make the transition from industrial/conventional livestock practices to animal-friendly practices report better lives for the animals and the farmers themselves, with benefits for land and water health, and often more autonomy and greater...
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1000 Farms Initiative: A new paradigm of science in service of farmers
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Entomologist, agroecologist, farmer, rancher, and beekeeper Dr. Jonathan Lundgren was a scientist with USDA Agricultural Research Service for 11 years. He left to undertake regenerative agriculture science studies that embraced a larger paradigm, looking at the interconnection of all the living beings on the farm and in the community, from the soil microbiome to the insects to the plants and animals — and the farmers. He's founder and director of the , and CEO of , which work as a partnership. The is producing extremely detailed agricultural data from farms across North America — and...
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Virtual fencing—new technology that benefits both ranching and land conservation
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Virtual fencing is a new technology that employs GPS collars to keep animals in "virtual" pastures—so instead of using physical fences, the fence lines are drawn on a computer screen, and the collars direct the animals' movements through sound cues and mild electrical stimulation. This saves ranchers on labor and materials, allows more adaptive and flexible pasture management, and allows free range for wildlife. The Nature Conservancy, whose mission is to tackle climate change by protecting land and water and fostering a healthy food system, is partnering with ranches across the US to help...
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Regenerating a desert wetland oasis
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
spent a year on the in central New Mexico, photographing, living, and finding a deep connection to land, water, and animals—including the many migrating birds that live part-time in this magical desert wetland on the Rio Grande. Boyd connected with David and Hui-Chun Johnson, and together they are working with a small team to restore 38 acres on the refuge that have been degraded by "conventional" agricultural practices and invasive plant species. They have completed the first year of the five-year BEAM project (Biologically Enhanced Agricultural...
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The awe-inspiring beauty hidden in our food
Down to Earth: The Planet to Plate Podcast
Artist and science educator Robert Dash creates art from micro- and macroscopic photographs of food crops. His new book, Food Planet Future: The Art of Turning Food and Climate Perils into Possibilities, explores both the science of our food system and the role of art in finding a more healthy and loving way forward.
info_outlineWomen have been invisible in agriculture for too long: not counted in the census, not taken seriously for their work and management achievements, excluded from access to capital and credit––and even farm equipment is not made for their bodies. We talk to Jules Salinas of Women Food and Agriculture Network, which is addressing these issues in ways ranging from political action to storytelling.