Dani Nierenberg on US agricultural policy shifts and the future of sustainable farming

Kicking off series five of the Sustainable Food Trust podcast, Patrick Holden, SFT CEO and organic dairy farmer, catches up with Dani Nierenberg, President of Food Tank.

Dani Nierenberg is a world-renowned researcher, speaker, and advocate, on all issues relating to our food system and agriculture. In 2013, Dani co-founded Food Tank with Bernard Pollack, a nonprofit organisation focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank is a global convener, thought leadership organisation, and unbiased creator of original research impacting the food system. Dani has an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

In this first episode of the new series, Dani and Patrick discuss the impact of an extractive approach to agriculture upon our planet and our health. They consider how we can switch to a more regenerative approach – one that restores the soil, conserves water, and reduces the need for agrichemicals. Dani shares her insights on the recent shake-up in US politics and what the new administration could mean for food and farming, as well as exploring challenges relating to certification, labelling and consumer engagement.

The conversation also examines the true cost of industrial food production, which typically isn’t reflected in the retail price, and unpicks some of the sustainable agriculture challenges currently being faced in California and beyond. Commenting on what gives her hope for the future, Dani gives plenty of reasons to be optimistic, including opportunities for young people in agriculture and the huge potential for collaboration within the food and farming sector.

Visit Food Tank here to learn more about their work.

And you can find Dani on LinkedIn and X.

To listen to more SFT podcasts, featuring some of the biggest names in regenerative food and farming, head to our main podcast page. And to keep up with our news, you can subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter or follow us on Instagram, X or Facebook.

 

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Intro
• 0:43 – Welcome Dani!
• 1:28 – Food Tank’s impressive global reach
• 3:06 – Dani’s path to agriculture & sustainability
• 4:40 – The Peace Corps’ influence on Dani’s work
• 6:45 – The California wildfires
• 10:35 – Extractive agriculture in America 
• 11:55 – What does the transition to more sustainable food & farming systems look like?
• 13:54 – How will the new US administration impact food and farming?
• 19:03 – How can we reach a wider audience?
• 21:22 – What did the Democrats achieve on food & farming in the last four years?
• 23:50 – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joel Salatin
• 25:59 – Barriers for young farmers in the US
• 26:46 – Groundswell film
• 27:31 – The challenges with certification in organic farming
• 30:56 – The agrochemical industry’s attempts to silence critics
• 32:53 – The importance of uncomfortable conversations and unusual collaborations
• 33:34 – True Cost Accounting 
• 39:53 – Taking 'Feeding Britain' international
• 41:16 – Goodbye and thank you!
• 42:11 – Outro