Podcasts about food policy action

Ken Cook was a principal architect of landmark provisions of the 1985 farm bill that for the first time shifted U.S. farm policy from a narrow focus on maximum crop production to conservation of land, water, wetlands, and wildlife. The legislation was widely regarded as the most important environmental farm policy reform in decades. He went on to co-found the Environmental Working Group, which created an online database of federal farm subsidy payments and recipients that has generated thousands of stories about the nation's broken farm policies. This week, Ken talks with our host Ron Kroese about the first versions of the farm subsidy payment database as well as his role in Washington, D.C. throughout the years. Ken and the Environmental Working Group played a similarly prominent role during the crafting of the 2008 and 2014 farm bills, fighting successfully to add conservation requirements on farms that benefit from federally subsidized crop insurance. Ken continues to serve as president of the Environmental Working Group and is widely recognized as one of the environmental community's most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture, U.S. food and farm policy, and the nation's broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances. Under his leadership, the Environmental Working Group has pioneered the use of digital technologies to empower American families with easy-to-use, data-driven tools to help reduce their exposure to potentially harmful ingredients in foods, drinking water, cosmetics, and other household products. Ken is the founding chairman and board member of Food Policy Action, an organization dedicated to promoting food policy that is protective of the environment, farmers, and consumers through education and the publication of the National Food Policy Scorecard. The interview was conducted on Dec. 16, 2016. Links this episode: National Sustainable Agriculture Oral History Archive Environmental Working Group EWG's Farm Subsidy Database -------- Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Audible, Apple, Google, and more. Catch past episodes, a transcript, and show notes at cfra.org/SustainbleAgPodcast.

About Today's GuestJosh Protas is the Vice President of Public Policy and heads the Washington, D.C. office for MAZON. In this role, which he assumed in 2012, Josh coordinates and implements MAZON's advocacy agenda, including efforts to protect and strengthen the federal nutrition safety net, with particular emphasis on the food security needs for seniors, veterans, and military families. Josh has extensive experience working at Jewish communal agencies at both the local and national level including as Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and as Vice President and Washington Director for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. He previously served as a member of the board of directors for the Coalition on Human Needs and currently participates as part of the Vote Advisory Council for Food Policy Action. Josh earned his M.A. in Western American History and Public History from Arizona State University and his B.A. in American Studies and French Literature from Wesleyan University.Links Mentioned In This EpisodeMAZON Web SiteFood Insecurity in Military FamiliesFood Insecurity in the Veteran PopulationSummary of MAZON Report: Hungry in the MilitaryFull Hungry in the Military ReportPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThe PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course, Food Insecurity: Bringing Solutions to the Table. The course is intended to help you understand how food insecurity happens and offer solutions to this problem. By the end of the course, you should be able to understand what food security means; Recognize how Veterans and their families can become food insecure; and Determine ways you can help Veterans in your community be food secure. The course is introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth and You can find a link to the course in our show notes. https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Food-Insecurity This Episode Sponsored By:This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Asheville, NC adopted a food policy action plan in 2013 and updated it in 2017 to ensure residents have access to healthy, nutritious food in the context of creating a thriving and resilient city. We delve into what the plan is, how it relates to climate change, and how it has impacted the city in this interview with Asheville Sustainability Coordinator Kiera Bulan and Keith McDade, a member of Asheville's Sustainability Advisory Committee and a Professor of Sustainability at Lenoir-Rhyne University.ResourcesFood Policy Action Plan information and resolution links2013 resolution establishing plan2017 resolution updating planAsheville Buncombe Food Policy Council websiteAsheville Edibles mapClimate Justice initiative and Climate Justice data mapBountiful Cities organizationAsheville Sustainability DepartmentLenoir-Rhyne University Sustainability Studies program

Food insecurity strikes all corners of American life including the lives of military families. For the currently serving military families there is a barrier that makes it more difficult for them to qualify for needed assistance from the SNAP program. A person who knows a great deal about this is Josh Protas, Vice President of Public Policy at MAZON, A Jewish Response to Hunger, which is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and in Israel. This is the third in our series of episodes on food insecurity, done in partnership with MAZON.   Interview Summary     So, let's dive in and begin by talking about hunger and food insecurity in military families. So, when did you first learn about the phenomenon in this population?   So, let's just start by recognizing how shocking it is to talk about military families and food insecurity in the same sentence. It's remarkable that we even have to have this conversation. MAZON learned about these issues about a decade ago. We started to hear from a number of our partner agencies, food banks and food pantries around the country about an uptick in the number of military families that they were seeing coming, really out of desperation, for emergency assistance. Around that time also, there was a session at the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference on military and veteran food insecurity and MAZON'S President and CEO, Abby Leibman and Mia Hubbard, our Vice President of Programs, were at that session and heard about some of the issues that came up. And then people left the session and that was it. Food pantries and food banks were doing important work, serving military families with emergency assistance, but there were some policy issues that were being ignored. And MAZON started looking into these issues to understand what was going on and recognized that there are some separate, and somewhat related issues, for currently serving military families and then the veteran population as well. For the currently serving military families there is actually a barrier that still exists, that makes it more difficult for them to qualify for needed assistance from the SNAP program.   You know, you're right. It's discouraging and depressing that this problem exists, but of course it exists in such a widespread manner, that it's all over. So, what are the challenges and the circumstances that military families face, that can lead to food insecurity in the first place? I mean, I assume not having enough money is the biggest problem, but what else?   So, not having enough money is part of the picture. I think some historical perspective is important here because the composition of our armed forces has changed. Historically it was single individuals who enlisted in the military, and single men really, And the housing for those single men was primarily on-base housing. The composition of our military has changed over time and also the way that we house our troops has changed. So, we have many more military families that serve. It's not just the individual, but it's a spouse and children that serve with them in a way. And at the same time that that's been happening, the majority of our military housing has moved to either off-base, or privatized housing. The reason that this is an issue is because those who live off-base, or in privatized housing receive a basic allowance for housing benefit from the military. The issue around food insecurity is that that BAH, the Basic Allowance for Housing, which is not treated as income for federal income tax purposes and for determining the eligibility for most federal assistance programs, the BAH is treated as income for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And as a result, when you take the base pay, which is often low for a junior enlisted service member and you add on top of that their BAH, it makes them ineligible to qualify for SNAP. And the added complications for military families are exceptionally high rates of spousal unemployment. Before the pandemic, the rates were hovering around 22 to 24% and that didn't even take into account underemployment, or employment that was below professional training. Since the pandemic, those rates have been spiking. Close to a third of military spouses that want to work are unemployed. And so, when you just have a single source of income, that low rate of base pay for junior enlisted personnel, it can be really tough to make ends meet.   Well, what a remarkable set of challenges those families face and you can see why food insecurity would be such a big problem. So, can you tell us how MAZON is addressing this issue?   MAZON has really focused on the policy challenges and policy solutions that can make a difference around military food insecurity. Trying to remove that barrier to federal program has been the core of that work. We've approached it on a number of different fronts, both in the Obama administration and in the Trump administration and now in the Biden administration. We've been pushing for administrative changes to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exclude the BAH as counted income, so to remove that barrier to access SNAP for military families that really need that help. We've run into a number of obstacles through that administrative course of action, so we've also been addressing this legislatively and have pushed for proposals in the farm bill process. And most recently, the farm bill that was signed into law in 2018, unfortunately did not include a fix for this. As a result, we've gone through the National Defense Authorization Act, which is must-pass annual legislation. MAZON was instrumental in crafting a proposal that would be a bit of a workaround. It wouldn't address SNAP specifically, but the Military Family Basic Needs Allowance, which we helped to write as a provision, is part of the NDAA process that would give some added cash assistance to junior enlisted personnel whose households are at, or below 130% of the federal poverty level. We've had bipartisan support for this provision. It was included in the House version of the NDAA bills the past two years. Unfortunately, there's been some Pentagon opposition to this and the Senate did not include the provision in their version of the bill and it has not been signed into law yet. So, we're continuing to push for that in the current NDAA process and also working on engaging the administration. We've met with the First Lady's senior staff and staff from the Domestic Policy Council and National Security Council. The First Lady has re-instituted the Joining Forces initiative to focus on military families and their unique needs and challenges. So, we're hopeful that there's a growing awareness about this issue and a growing commitment to take some common sense targeted actions to really help those who are serving our country, to make sure that they never have to struggle to put food on the table.   I'm impressed with how sophisticated and persistent your policy efforts have been in both on the administrative and legislative fronts. Are you optimistic that things will eventually change?   I've been working on this issue personally for the past eight years. I've put a lot of time and energy into it. It's been a major area of work for MAZON, so, I'll feel comfortable and comforted when we get it done. I don't want to get too optimistic. This issue is common sense, as it is to address it has been so stubborn, finally get resolved. So, I don't want to be complacent at all. There are some reasons to be more optimistic that we'll be able to push this further. Certainly the change in the Senate, the new administration, signal some better opportunities, so I'm hopeful on that front.   Now, have been some recent stories about food pantries and other charitable organizations providing emergency relief to military families. And this is something you alluded to earlier. How adequately, do you think, they're addressing the issue?   So, the food pantries and food banks that are addressing this issue are really doing that at a surface level and they're doing very important work to respond to emergency needs. But for military hunger and for hunger in this country, in general, the charitable sector does not have the capacity nor was it set up to have the capacity, to fully address food insecurity issues in this country. Only the federal government has that capacity, has the resources, has the breadth and leadership to really address hunger. And we need policy solutions to deal with this. There are food pantries operating on, or near, almost every single military base in this country and there's no reason that should happen. Those who are serving our country bravely should never have to worry about meeting their basic needs. They should be paid adequately and they should be able to access resources in federal programs that are available, to provide some extra assistance if they need it. So, turning to a food pantry out of desperation shouldn't be a routine case. The pantries that are operating near these bases are serving the same families month in, month out, hundreds, sometimes thousands of families, at different installations. And that shouldn't happen. We should be able to make sure that those households, either get additional pay to make sure that they can meet their basic needs, or able to get benefits like SNAP, so that they don't have to turn to the charitable sector. And food pantries are already spread thin. They can't pick up any more slack. Certainly the needs have been spiking because of COVID-19 and the economic downturn. Our federal government needs to step up. The ARP that recently was signed into law is a huge step forward with the, SNAP benefits, but that's time limited and eventually that will expire, so more robust support for our federal safety net programs is critical. And certainly for military families, we need to remove those barriers and fill that gap.   You've been speaking, in a very detailed way, about food insecurity in military families. What is the scope of the problem among America's veterans?   Great question. And the issue for veterans is different than for currently serving families, but related. So, MAZON has been working on this issue, veteran food insecurity, for a number of years as well. We held the first ever Congressional Briefing on veteran food insecurity back in 2015 and invited leadership from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs to join us. And we learned, at that time, that the VA system was not doing food insecurity screenings as a standard practice. And if you're not asking the question and you're not screening to see who might be struggling, then you can't address the problem. So at that time, MAZON pushed really hard to get the VA system to start asking the questions, to start doing the food insecurity screenings that were so critical to identify those who are at risk in order to be able to connect them with available help. Really pleased to say that couple of years ago now, VA system has started doing these food insecurity screenings which has been an enormous step forward. The screenings that they were doing were just a single question, which probably were insufficient for fully capturing the scope of the problem and identifying all who might be at risk. It looks like the VA system is moving towards a question panel as part of its Clinical Reminder system, the hunger vital signs, which is a validated instrument that includes two questions to really identify who may be at risk of food insecurity and the severity of that food insecurity. Where there's a need now is connecting those veterans who are at risk of food insecurity with programs like SNAP and that's not happening as a routine practice through the VA system. And there's also a need to connect veterans who do not receive care and services through the VA system with resources like SNAP.   MAZON has been working with the VA. We assigned a memorandum of agreement with the VA system this past year and we've also worked with veterans service organizational partners to create resources and trainings. We created an online training course with the PsychArmor Institute, aimed at service providers who work with veterans to make them better aware of food insecurity among the veteran population. Some of the unique challenges, including shame and stigma that might make veterans reluctant to seek help and to direct them towards their state's SNAP agency, so that those who might be struggling in resources that they're eligible for and entitled to. A recent study about veterans who are food insecure, found that of those who are eligible for SNAP, only about one in three actually participate in the program. So, that means that two thirds of veterans who are dealing with food insecurity, are eligible for SNAP, are leaving those benefits on the table and are struggling needlessly. So, there's a real need to help close that SNAP gap for veterans. It's the right thing to do. It will help support better health. It'll realize long-term healthcare savings and it'll help those veterans who are trying to support their families, better able to take care of them.   Bio:   Josh Protas is the Vice President of Public Policy and heads the Washington, D.C. office for MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. In this role, which he assumed in 2012, Josh coordinates and implements MAZON's advocacy agenda, including efforts to protect and strengthen the federal nutrition safety net, with particular emphasis on the food security needs for seniors, veterans, and military families. Josh has extensive experience working at Jewish communal agencies at both the local and national level including as Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and as Vice President and Washington Director for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. He previously served as a member of the board of directors for the Coalition on Human Needs and currently participates as part of the Vote Advisory Council for Food Policy Action. Josh earned his M.A. in Western American History and Public History from Arizona State University and his B.A. in American Studies and French Literature from Wesleyan University.  

Spike's career, spanning nearly three decades, can be described as nothing short of creatively diverse. From chef and restaurateur to television personality, product developer and consultant, Spike is a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world.    After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Spike worked with some of the world's most renowned chefs and restaurateurs such as Gerard Boyer, Thomas Keller, Sirio Maccioni and Drew Nieporent. After making his television debut on Bravo TV's Top Chef, Spike went on to appear on several other cooking-related shows, including Life After Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Late Night Chef Fight and Beat Bobby Flay. He also hosted Midnight Feast and Food Network's Kitchen Sink.    In 2008, Spike opened up the first restaurant in his culinary empire on Washington DC's Capitol Hill: Good Stuff Eatery. His burger joint quickly became a favorite of political elites, including President Barack Obama. This success inspired a cookbook (The Good Stuff Cookbook) and multiple locations across the country and overseas. Following the opening of Good Stuff Eatery, Spike opened up We, The Pizza, Béarnaise and Santa Rosa Taqueria. Spike's newest restaurant, PLNT Burger, is dedicated to crafting and redefining some of America's favorite foods without the use of any animal products.Outside of his restaurants, Spike's popular DC speakeasy (The Sheppard) has paved the way for a second concept called The Morris.   Applying his experience and expertise as a chef and restaurateur, Spike has worked with several brands by providing them with creative and comprehensive culinary consulting services. His consulting projects include Sunny's and Campton Yard in Miami Beach and Vim & Victor at the state-of-the-art sports and active entertainment center, The St. James, in Virginia.    In an effort to put his passion for food equity and education into action, Spike began working with organizations like CARE and DC Central Kitchen as a chef ambassador and contributor. His work landed him the position as the first chairman of DC's Food Policy Council. He has used his voice to speak out about improving the quality of school lunches, equal access to whole and healthy foods and for the protection of the SNAP program. Spike continues to partner with groups like Food Rescue US and Food Policy Action to make a positive impact on our food system.   Most recently, Spike has combined his intimate knowledge of the Relais & Chateau kitchen life with his experience in media production by partnering with Show of Force as an executive producer to deliver a riveting and never-before-seen look behind the curtain that is the Inn at Little Washington. The Inn At Little Washington: A Delicious New Documentary will premier at the Virginia Film Festival and air on PBS in early 2020.   Spike lives in the DC area with his wife, Cody, and their son. When he's not in the kitchen or lobbying on The Hill, Spike can be found surfing any river or ocean that has a wave.   What a powerful and in-depth conversation about how to follow your passion, purpose and talents, and to make positive change while doing so. The main take away for me, in addition to his incredible amount of success with being a chef and restauranteur, and newest endeavor with PLNT Burger, is how he tapped into his creativity and inner voice. We talked a lot about how Spike really used his intuition and stayed connected to his flow state to create a meaningful and impactful career. A powerful reminder is to follow the ideosynchronicities you notice, and your inner voice.             Enjoying the show? For iTunes listeners, get automatic downloads and share the love by subscribing, rating & reviewing here!   *Share what you are struggling with or looking to transform with Julie at podcast@juliereisler.com. Julie would love to start covering topics of highest interest to YOU. Please also let us know if you are interested to be a guest on her show to discuss where you are stuck, and do live coaching with Julie on her podcast.    Connect with Chef Spike Mendelsohn  Facebook: facebook.com/plntburger Twitter: @plntburger Instagram: @plntburger Website: www.plntburger.com   Download our podcast interview with Chef Spike Mendelsohn here on iTunes Join host Julie Reisler, author and multi-time TEDx speaker, each week to learn how you can tap into your best self and become your You-est You® to achieve inner peace, happiness and success at a deeper level! Tune in to hear powerful, inspirational stories and expert insights from entrepreneurs, industry thought leaders, and extraordinary human beings that will help to transform your life. Julie also shares a-ha moments that have shaped her life and career, and discusses key concepts from her book Get a PhD in YOU   Here's to your being your you-est you!  You-est You Links: Subscribe to the Podcast  Learn more at JulieReisler.com Join The You-est You® Community for Soul Seekers on Facebook Book Julie as a speaker at your upcoming event Amazon #1 Best selling book Get a PhD in YOU Download free guided-meditations from Insight Timer  Julie's Hungry For More Online Program (10 Module Interactive Course)

Today, Vidal welcomes one of the highest exponents in the environmental field, Ken Cook.   Ken Cook, president and co-founder of Environmental Working Group, is widely recognized as one of the environmental community's most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture, U.S. food and farm policy, and the nation's broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances.   Under Cook's leadership over the past 20 years, EWG has pioneered the use of digital technologies to expose the harms done by misconceived crop subsidies, crop insurance, and runaway agricultural pollution. The organization has also empowered American families with easy-to-use, data-driven tools to help reduce their exposure to potentially harmful ingredients in foods, drinking water, cosmetics and other household products. These unique digital resources are searched hundreds of millions of times by consumers, journalists, and policymakers.   Cook is a widely sought public speaker on these and other environmental health issues and is frequently cited for the outsized impact that his and EWG's work has had on policy debates in Washington and state and local governments across the country.   Cook has addressed food, agriculture, and toxics policy in countless media interviews, including with 60 Minutes, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX Business News, CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, Reuters, The Los Angeles Times and The San Francisco Chronicle. He testifies regularly before House and Senate committees and for the past 20 years has briefed top White House officials and every U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and EPA Administrator on EWG's research and policy positions.   He has been recognized with multiple awards from health and environmental organizations including Mount Sinai Hospital's Children's Environmental Health Center, the U.S. Healthful Food Council, and Epidemic Answers.   Cook is a board member of Food Policy Action (and founding chairman), Organic Voices and the Amazon Conservation Team and a former member of the board of the Organic Center. He earned a B.A. in history, a B.S. in agriculture and an M.S. in soil science at the University of Missouri-Columbia.   Get ready to learn the truth about the products you are buying. You will get many easy-to-take-into-fast-action tips. Detoxing might be way easier than you think! Outline of This Great Episode [6:30] Ken Cook career briefing. [10:25] Pesticides on golf courses. [11:26] How did Ken Cook got involved in environmental issues? [16:05] What EWG is about? [20:28] There is no regulation in the ingredients that go in personal care products. [20:50] Skin deep rate. [21:15] Healthy living: Practical tips to reduce your exposure to toxins and chemicals. [24:25] BUYcott: small changes in markets. [33:14] The most concerning toxins and chemicals currently. [34:26] Industrial pollution begins in the womb. [35:46] Not enough data on the consequences on the combination of chemicals. [37:12] Carcinogens, neural system toxins, PCBs. [43:35] By changing your diet you can reduce the toxicity caused by mercury in your body. [49:11] Passing environmental legislation. [56:51] Changes you can make today: buy locally at a farmers market, drink distilled water. [1:00:22] Organic farms. [1:02:08] Benefits of organic products. [1:03:42] There are not enough organic products. [1:04.55] We have to find out a way of scale produce organic food. [1:08:37] Farmers that change from chemicals to organic. [1:11:03] Arsenic in rice. [1:12:46] Toxins used in beauty products. [1:13:50] Check your products in skin deep website. [1:16:37] EWG app. [1:18:53] Three tips to enhance your living. [1:20:48] Reduce the amount of meat you eat.   Mentioned In This Episode Visit Deborah Vidal and subscribe to this podcast! Vidal thanks you for using her banner for your shopping. Distilled water Ionic minerals   Connect with Today's Guest Environmental Working Group Skin Deep EWG healthy living app Healthy cleaning guide

This week on All in the Industry, host Shari Bayer is joined in the studio by Tom Colicchio, chef and co-founder of the Gramercy Tavern in New York City. He is also the founder of other restaurants including Craft, Colicchio & Sons, Riverpark, 'Wichcraft, and the brand new Fowler & Wells in the landmark Beekman hotel. Colicchio is the recipient of five James Beard Foundation Awards for cooking accomplishments. He has been the head judge on every season of Bravo's Top Chef, as well as Best New Restaurant, which he also executive produces. Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, co-produced and -directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States. Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Erik D. Olson, J.D., is director of the Health Program, and Senior Strategic Director for Food and Health at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He has more than 30 years of experience in consumer, public health, and environmental policy. He oversees NRDC’s work on issues including antibiotics use in animal production, food waste, climate-healthy food, pesticides, toxic chemicals in food and consumer products, drinking water contamination, global mercury pollution, textile-related pollution in Asia, and other food, agriculture and toxics issues. Prior to joining NRDC, Olson was Senior Director of Food Programs at The Pew Charitable Trusts, where he managed campaigns to improve food safety, school nutrition standards, and food additives. At Pew he helped lead the successful effort to enact the first overhaul of the FDA’s food safety program in over 70 years. Previously, he was Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. In his previous 15-year stint at NRDC, he helped enact the Food Quality Protection Act and the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. He has litigated major federal environmental cases ranging from the Exxon Valdez case to drinking water, Superfund, and other litigation. Olson is a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Food Forum and is on the Board for Food Policy Action. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where served as an editor of the environmental law journal, and his A.B. from Columbia University.

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.

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.

This episode of Week in Review covers everything from stretchy Turkish ice cream, positive body image, and where to put your sex toys in the dishwasher. On “The Breakdown” Jack and Erin talk food policy with Claire Benjamin DiMattina, Executive Director of FoodPolicyAction.org

Director Ricardo Salvador outlines a partnership with Food Policy Action and other groups that addresses the principal issues around US food policy. Their combined initiative is called Plate of the Union. The goal is to propose common sense reforms to current food policy directions that ultimately lead to few corporations harvesting vast profit at the expense of public health and environmental safety. “We’re determined – if you fix food you can fix other front line issues these candidates talk about.” [05:00]  

Director Ricardo Salvador outlines a partnership with Food Policy Action and other groups that addresses the principal issues around US food policy. Their combined initiative is called Plate of the Union. The goal is to propose common sense reforms to current food policy directions that ultimately lead to few corporations harvesting vast profit at the expense of public health and environmental safety. “We’re determined – if you fix food you can fix other front line issues these candidates talk about.” [05:00]  

Tom Colicchio keeps adding to his impressive, albeit daunting, schedule as a father, husband, chef, restauranteur, entrepreneur, TV personality, pitchman, guitar afficianado, film producer and policy wonk. He takes all of his multi-hyphenates seriously, especially food activism. Tomorrow, Thursday, October 16th, Colicchio will spend World Hunger Day, as co-founder of Food Policy Action, reminding (read: lobbying) Congress to help the 14.3 percent of American homes which are “food insecure.” The glaring statistics about hunger in our country leave out people who are homeless and otherwise un-dcoumented and cant afford to buy food, never mind eat healthy. In our interview, you'll hear why he isn’t running for political office, and I ask him what effect high priced restaurants have on driving up the price of food. Whip-smart and good natured, Colicchio offers genuine insight into everything from tipping to why kale is so hot. In our incredibly fun conversation, Colicchio’s honesty, humor and, yes, heart...