Podcasts about livelihoods

Today we're talking with health and nutrition expert Dr. Stuart Gillespie, author of a new book entitled Food Fight: from Plunder and Profit to People and Planet. Using decades of research and insight gathered from around the world, Dr. Gillespie wants to reimagine our global food system and plot a way forward to a sustainable, equitable, and healthy food future - one where our food system isn't making us sick. Certainly not the case now. Over the course of his career, Dr. Gillespie has worked with the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition in Geneva with UNICEF in India and with the International Food Policy Research Institute, known as IFPRI, where he's led initiatives tackling the double burden of malnutrition and agriculture and health research. He holds a PhD in human nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Interview Summary So, you've really had a global view of the agriculture system, and this is captured in your book. And to give some context to our listeners, in your book, you describe the history of the global food system, how it's evolved into this system, sort of warped, if you will, into a mechanism that creates harm and it destroys more than it produces. That's a pretty bold statement. That it destroys more than it produces, given how much the agriculture around the world does produce. Tell us a bit more if you would. Yes, that statement actually emerged from recent work by the Food Systems Economic Commission. And they costed out the damage or the downstream harms generated by the global food system at around $15 trillion per year, which is 12% of GDP. And that manifests in various ways. Health harms or chronic disease. It also manifests in terms of climate crisis and risks and environmental harms, but also. Poverty of food system workers at the front line, if you like. And it's largely because we have a system that's anachronistic. It's a system that was built in a different time, in a different century for a different purpose. It was really started to come together after the second World War. To mass produce cheap calories to prevent famine, but also through the Green Revolution, as that was picking up with the overproduction of staples to use that strategically through food aid to buffer the West to certain extent from the spread of communism. And over time and over the last 50 years of neoliberal policies we've got a situation where food is less and less viewed as a human right, or a basic need. It's seen as a commodity and the system has become increasingly financialized. And there's a lot of evidence captured by a handful of transnationals, different ones at different points in the system from production to consumption. But in each case, they wield huge amounts of power. And that manifests in various ways. We have, I think a system that's anachronistic The point about it, and the problem we have, is that it's a system revolves around maximizing profit and the most profitable foods and products of those, which are actually the least healthy for us as individuals. And it's not a system that's designed to nourish us. It's a system designed to maximize profit. And we don't have a system that really aims to produce whole foods for people. We have a system that produces raw ingredients for industrial formulations to end up as ultra processed foods. We have a system that produces cattle feed and, and biofuels, and some whole foods. But it, you know, that it's so skewed now, and we see the evidence all around us that it manifests in all sorts of different ways. One in three people on the planet in some way malnourished. We have around 12 million adult deaths a year due to diet related chronic disease. And I followed that from colonial times that, that evolution and the way it operates and the way it moves across the world. And what is especially frightening, I think, is the speed at which this so-called nutrition transition or dietary transition is happening in lower income or middle income countries. We saw this happening over in the US and we saw it happening in the UK where I am. And then in Latin America, and then more Southeast Asia, then South Asia. Now, very much so in Sub-Saharan Africa where there is no regulation really, apart from perhaps South Africa. So that's long answer to your intro question. Let's dive into a couple of things that you brought up. First, the Green Revolution. So that's a term that many of our listeners will know and they'll understand what the Green Revolution is, but not everybody. Would you explain what that was and how it's had these effects throughout the food systems around the world? Yes, I mean around the, let's see, about 1950s, Norman Borlag, who was a crop breeder and his colleagues in Mexico discovered through crop breeding trials, a high yielding dwarf variety. But over time and working with different partners, including well in India as well, with the Swaminathan Foundation. And Swaminathan, for example, managed to perfect these new strains. High yielding varieties that doubled yields for a given acreage of land in terms of staples. And over time, this started to work with rice, with wheat, maize and corn. Very dependent on fertilizers, very dependent on pesticides, herbicides, which we now realize had significant downstream effects in terms of environmental harms. But also, diminishing returns in as much as, you know, that went through its trajectory in terms of maximizing productivity. So, all the Malthusian predictions of population growth out running our ability to feed the planet were shown to not to be true. But it also generated inequity that the richest farmers got very rich, very quickly, the poorer farmers got slightly richer, but that there was this large gap. So, inequity was never really properly dealt with through the Green Revolution in its early days. And that overproduction and the various institutions that were set in place, the manner in which governments backed off any form of regulation for overproduction. They continued to subsidize over production with these very large subsidies upstream, meant that we are in the situation we are now with regard to different products are being used to deal with that excess over production. So, that idea of using petroleum-based inputs to create the foods in the first place. And the large production of single crops has a lot to do with that Green Revolution that goes way back to the 1950s. It's interesting to see what it's become today. It's sort of that original vision multiplied by a billion. And boy, it really does continue to have impacts. You know, it probably was the forerunner to genetically modified foods as well, which I'd like to ask you about in a little bit. But before I do that, you said that much of the world's food supply is governed by a pretty small number of players. So who are these players? If you look at the downstream retail side, you have Nestle, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Unilever. Collectively around 70% of retail is governed by those companies. If you look upstream in terms of agricultural and agribusiness, you have Cargill, ADM, Louis Dreyfus, and Bunge. These change to a certain extent. What doesn't change very much are the numbers involved that are very, very small and that the size of these corporations is so large that they have immense power. And, so those are the companies that we could talk about what that power looks like and why it's problematic. But the other side of it's here where I am in the UK, we have a similar thing playing out with regard to store bought. Food or products, supermarkets that control 80% as Tesco in the UK, Asta, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons just control. You have Walmart, you have others, and that gives them immense power to drive down the costs that they will pay to producers and also potentially increase the cost that they charge as prices of the products that are sold in these supermarkets. So that profit markup, profit margins are in increased in their favor. They can also move around their tax liabilities around the world because they're transnational. And that's just the economic market and financial side on top of that. And as you know, there's a whole raft of political ways in which they use this power to infiltrate policy, influence policy through what I've called in Chapter 13, the Dark Arts of Policy Interference. Your previous speaker, Murray Carpenter, talked about that with regard to Coca-Cola and that was a very, yeah, great example. But there are many others. In many ways these companies have been brilliant at adapting to the regulatory landscape, to the financial incentives, to the way the agriculture system has become warped. I mean, in some ways they've done the warping, but in a lot of ways, they're adapting to the conditions that allow warping to occur. And because they've invested so heavily, like in manufacturing plants to make high fructose corn syrup or to make biofuels or things like that. It'd be pretty hard for them to undo things, and that's why they lobby so strongly in favor of keeping the status quo. Let me ask you about the issue of power because you write about this in a very compelling way. And you talk about power imbalances in the food system. What does that look like in your mind, and why is it such a big part of the problem? Well, yes. And power manifests in different ways. It operates sometimes covertly, sometimes overtly. It manifests at different levels from, you know, grassroots level, right up to national and international in terms of international trade. But what I've described is the way markets are captured or hyper concentrated. That power that comes with these companies operating almost like a cartel, can be used to affect political or to dampen down, block governments from regulating them through what I call a five deadly Ds: dispute or dispute or doubt, distort, distract, disguise, and dodge. And you've written very well Kelly, with I think Kenneth Warner about the links between big food and big tobacco and the playbook and the realization on the part of Big Tobacco back in the '50s, I think, that they couldn't compete with the emerging evidence of the harms of smoking. They had to secure the science. And that involved effectively buying research or paying for researchers to generate a raft of study shown that smoking wasn't a big deal or problem. And also, public relations committees, et cetera, et cetera. And we see the same happening with big food. Conflicts of interest is a big deal. It needs to be avoided. It can't be managed. And I think a lot of people think it is just a question of disclosure. Disclosure is never enough of conflict of interest, almost never enough. We have, in the UK, we have nine regulatory bodies. Every one of them has been significantly infiltrated by big food, including the most recent one, which has just been designated to help develop a national food stretch in the UK. We've had a new government here and we thought things were changing, beginning to wonder now because big food is on that board or on that committee. And it shouldn't be, you know. It shouldn't be anywhere near the policy table anyway. That's so it's one side is conflict of interest. Distraction: I talk about corporate social responsibility initiatives and the way that they're designed to distract. On the one hand, if you think of a person on a left hand is doing these wonderful small-scale projects, which are high visibility and they're doing good. In and off themselves they're doing good. But they're small scale. Whereas the right hand is a core business, which is generating harm at a much larger scale. And the left hand is designed to distract you from the right hand. So that distraction, those sort of corporate CSR initiatives are a big part of the problem. And then 'Disguise' is, as you know, with the various trade associations and front groups, which acted almost like Trojan horses, in many ways. Because the big food companies are paying up as members of these committees, but they don't get on the program of these international conferences. But the front groups do and the front groups act on in their interests. So that's former disguise or camouflage. The World Business Council on Sustainable Development is in the last few years, has been very active in the space. And they have Philip Morris on there as members, McDonald's and Nestle, Coke, everybody, you know. And they deliberately actually say It's all fine. That we have an open door, which I, I just can't. I don't buy it. And there are others. So, you know, I think these can be really problematic. The other thing I should mention about power and as what we've learned more about, if you go even upstream from the big food companies, and you look at the hedge funds and the asset management firms like Vanguard, state Capital, BlackRock, and the way they've been buying up shares of big food companies and blocking any moves in annual general meetings to increase or improve the healthiness of portfolios. Because they're so powerful in terms of the number of shares they hold to maximize profit for pension funds. So, we started to see the pressure that is being put on big food upstream by the nature of the system, that being financialized, even beyond the companies themselves, you know? You were mentioning that these companies, either directly themselves or through their front organizations or the trade association block important things that might be done in agriculture. Can you think of an example of that? Yes, well actually I did, with some colleagues here in the UK, the Food Foundation, an investigation into corporate lobbying during the previous conservative government. And basically, in the five years after the pandemic, we logged around 1,400 meetings between government ministers and big food. Then we looked at the public interest NGOs and the number of meetings they had over that same period, and it was 35, so it was a 40-fold difference. Oh goodness. Which I was actually surprised because I thought they didn't have to do much because the Tory government was never going to really regulate them anyway. And you look in the register, there is meant to be transparency. There are rules about disclosure of what these lobbying meetings were meant to be for, with whom, for what purpose, what outcome. That's just simply not followed. You get these crazy things being written into the those logs like, 'oh, we had a meeting to discuss business, and that's it.' And we know that at least what happened in the UK, which I'm more familiar with. We had a situation where constantly any small piecemeal attempt to regulate, for example, having a watershed at 9:00 PM so that kids could not see junk food advertised on their screens before 9:00 PM. That simple regulation was delayed, delayed. So, delay is actually another D you know. It is part of it. And that's an example of that. That's a really good example. And you've reminded me of an example where Marian Nestle and I wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times, many years ago, on an effort by the WHO, the World Health Organization to establish a quite reasonable guideline for how much added sugar people should have in their diet. And the sugar industry stepped in in the biggest way possible. And there was a congressional caucus on sugar or something like that in our US Congress and the sugar industry and the other players in the food industry started interacting with them. They put big pressure on the highest levels of the US government to pressure the WHO away from this really quite moderate reasonable sugar standard. And the US ultimately threatened the World Health Organization with taking away its funding just on one thing - sugar. Now, thankfully the WHO didn't back down and ultimately came out with some pretty good guidelines on sugar that have been even stronger over the years. But it was pretty disgraceful. That's in the book that, that story is in the book. I think it was 2004 with the strategy on diet, physical activity. And Tommy Thompson was a health secretary and there were all sorts of shenanigans and stories around that. Yes, that is a very powerful example. It was a crazy power play and disgraceful how our government acted and how the companies acted and all the sort of deceitful ways they did things. And of course, that's happened a million times. And you gave the example of all the discussions in the UK between the food industry and the government people. So, let's get on to something more positive. What can be done? You can see these massive corporate influences, revolving doors in government, a lot of things that would argue for keeping the status quo. So how in the world do you turn things around? Yeah, good question. I really believe, I've talked about a lot of people. I've looked a lot of the evidence. I really believe that we need a systemic sort of structural change and understanding that's not going to happen overnight. But ultimately, I think there's a role for a government, citizens civil society, media, academics, food industry, obviously. And again, it's different between the UK and US and elsewhere in terms of the ability and the potential for change. But governments have to step in and govern. They have to set the guardrails and the parameters. And I talk in the book about four key INs. So, the first one is institutions in which, for example, there's a power to procure healthy food for schools, for hospitals, clinics that is being underutilized. And there's some great stories of individuals. One woman from Kenya who did this on her own and managed to get the government to back it and to scale it up, which is an incredible story. That's institutions. The second IN is incentives, and that's whereby sugar taxes, or even potentially junk food taxes as they have in Columbia now. And reforming the upstream subsidies on production is basically downregulating the harmful side, if you like, of the food system, but also using the potential tax dividend from that side to upregulate benefits via subsidies for low-income families. Rebalancing the system. That's the incentive side. The other side is information, and that involves labeling, maybe following the examples from Latin America with regard to black octagons in Chile and Mexico and Brazil. And dietary guidelines not being conflicted, in terms of conflicts of interest. And actually, that's the fourth IN: interests. So ridding government advisory bodies, guideline committees, of conflicts of interests. Cleaning up lobbying. Great examples in a way that can be done are from Canada and Ireland that we found. That's government. Citizens, and civil society, they can be involved in various ways exposing, opposing malpractice if you like, or harmful action on the part of industry or whoever else, or the non-action on the part of the government. Informing, advocating, building social movements. Lots I think can be learned through activist group in other domains or in other disciplines like HIV, climate. I think we need to make those connections much more. Media. I mean, the other thought is that the media have great, I mean in this country at least, you know, politicians tend to follow the media, or they're frightened of the media. And if the media turned and started doing deep dive stories of corporate shenanigans and you know, stuff that is under the radar, that would make a difference, I think. And then ultimately, I think then our industry starts to respond to different signals or should do or would do. So that in innovation is not just purely technological aimed at maximizing profit. It may be actually social. We need social innovation as well. There's a handful of things. But ultimately, I actually don't think the food system is broken because it is doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason. I think we need to change the system, and I'll say that will take time. It needs a real transformation. One, one last thing to say about that word transformation. Where in meetings I've been in over the last 10 years, so many people invoke food system transformation when they're not really talking about it. They're just talking about tweaking the margins or small, piecemeal ad hoc changes or interventions when we need to kind of press all the buttons or pull all the levers to get the kind of change that we need. And again, as I say, it was going to take some time, but we have to start moving that direction. Do you think there's reason to be hopeful and are there success stories you can point to, to make us feel a little bit better? Yeah, and I like that word, hope. I've just been reading a lot of essays from, actually, Rebecca Solnit has been writing a lot about hope as a warrior emotion. Radical hope, which it's different to optimism. Optimism went, oh, you know, things probably will be okay, but hope you make it. It's like a springboard for action. So I, yes, I'm hopeful and I think there are plenty of examples. Actually, a lot of examples from Latin America of things changing, and I think that's because they've been hit so fast, so hard. And I write in the book about what's happened in the US and UK it's happened over a period of, I don't know, 50, 60 years. But what's happened and is happening in Latin America has happened in just like 15 years. You know, it's so rapid that they've had to respond fast or get their act together quickly. And that's an interesting breed of activist scholars. You know, I think there's an interesting group, and again, if we connect across national boundaries across the world, we can learn a lot from that. There are great success stories coming out Chile from the past that we've seen what's happening in Mexico. Mexico was in a terrible situation after Vicente Fox came in, in the early 2000s when he brought all his Coca-Cola pals in, you know, the classic revolving door. And Mexico's obesity and diabetes went off to scale very quickly. But they're the first country with the sugar tax in 2014. And you see the pressure that was used to build the momentum behind that. Chile, Guido Girardi and the Black Octagon labels with other interventions. Rarely is it just one thing. It has to be a comprehensive across the board as far as possible. So, in Brazil, I think we will see things happening more in, in Thailand and Southeast Asia. We see things beginning to happen in India, South Africa. The obesity in Ghana, for example, changed so rapidly. There are some good people working in Ghana. So, you know, I think a good part of this is actually documenting those kind of stories as, and when they happen and publicizing them, you know. The way you portrayed the concept of hope, I think is a really good one. And when I asked you for some examples of success, what I was expecting you, you might say, well, there was this program and this part of a one country in Africa where they did something. But you're talking about entire countries making changes like Chile and Brazil and Mexico. That makes me very hopeful about the future when you get governments casting aside the influence of industry. At least long enough to enact some of these things that are definitely not in the best interest of industry, these traditional food companies. And that's all, I think, a very positive sign about big scale change. And hopefully what happens in these countries will become contagious in other countries will adopt them and then, you know, eventually they'll find their way to countries like yours and mine. Yes, I agree. That's how I see it. I used to do a lot of work on single, small interventions and do their work do they not work in this small environment. The problem we have is large scale, so we have to be large scale as well. BIO Dr. Stuart Gillespie has been fighting to transform our broken food system for the past 40 years. Stuart is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow in Nutrition, Diets and Health at theInternational Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). He has been at the helm of the IFPRI's Regional Network on AIDs, Livelihoods and Food Security, has led the flagship Agriculture for Nutrition and Health research program, was director of the Transform Nutrition program, and founded the Stories of Change initiative, amongst a host of other interventions into public food policy. His work – the ‘food fight' he has been waging – has driven change across all frontiers, from the grassroots (mothers in markets, village revolutionaries) to the political (corporate behemoths, governance). He holds a PhD in Human Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

The years between 1865 and 1870 would bring a tangle of new challenges for the people of the south. Drought gripped the land with merciless fingers in 1865 and 1866, only to return with cruel insistence between 1868 and 1869. Livelihoods withered, landscapes turned brittle. And yet, amid the dust and desolation, there was a glint of promise on the horizon, a hint of glitter in the forecast. British Kaffraria — that volatile strip of land east of the Kei — had been the stage for repeated wars between the British Empire and the amaXhosa. By 1866, the inevitable had come to pass: the territory was formally annexed to the Cape. This was not a popular move in the Cape Parliament. Most members balked at the idea, not out of principle, but pocket — British Kaffraria was a drain on the Treasury, propped up entirely by funds from London. The Cape, in its self-conscious autonomy, wanted no part in the bill. But Attorney General William Porter reminded his fellow parliamentarians that their indignation was selective. The Cape itself, he said, could not “talk big and look big” when its own house was being kept warm with British money. Independence in name meant little, he warned, if the machinery of government still ticked by the grace of Empire coin. But before the ink was dry on the annexation, another, more immediate matter took precedence — the fate of the amaMfengu, along with the amaNgqika and amaGqunukhwebe. The structures of amaXhosa political authority had already been dismantled within British Kaffraria. Now, as the imperial tide rolled further inland, it was the amaMfengu who found themselves repositioned — this time as subjects to be moved, their loyalty rewarded not with land, but with a fresh dislocation. Soon, the area around Butterworth became an amaMfengu stronghold. Many local amaXhosa were absorbed into their ambit — politically subdued or socially assimilated. For the British, this migration had a twofold effect. It removed thousands of Black residents from British Kaffraria, freeing up land under Crown control. And it advanced a broader goal: clearing the way for the Cape Parliament to annex the territory, albeit reluctantly and under pressure from Westminster. Just to flick the future switch for a moment — Back to the Future, in 2003, a constellation of dignitaries descended on Phokeng for the coronation of Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi of the Bafokeng. That's near Rustenberg just for clarity. Among them were Nelson Mandela, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, First Lady Zanele Mbeki, and the Queen Mother of Lesotho. A drought pressed down on the land in 2003, dry and unforgiving, but the dusty heat did little to mute the occasion's quiet grandeur. For a small nation to command such presence — to draw the gaze of the region's most prominent figures — spoke to something more than mere ceremonial gravity. It hinted at a deeper, long-cultivated influence. This is the story of how the Bafokeng came to be recognised as one of South Africa's most quietly successful peoples — not by avoiding the tides of history, but by learning, early on, how to navigate them. From their dealings with the Boers and Paul Kruger, to their survival under apartheid's grip, the Bafokeng carved a path few expected — and fewer still understood. There's an almost whispered history here, a counterpoint to the dominant narrative of dispossession and defeat. The Bafokeng lived on land of consequence long before that significance was measured in ounces of platinum. It wasn't until the metal was prised from the earth beneath their feet that the rest of the country — and eventually, the world — began to pay attention. But the roots of their agency run deeper, older. They reach back to a time when Paul Kruger was still cobbling together unity among the Voortrekkers, long before his epic confrontations with the British had begun.

The years between 1865 and 1870 would bring a tangle of new challenges for the people of the south. Drought gripped the land with merciless fingers in 1865 and 1866, only to return with cruel insistence between 1868 and 1869. Livelihoods withered, landscapes turned brittle. And yet, amid the dust and desolation, there was a glint of promise on the horizon, a hint of glitter in the forecast. British Kaffraria — that volatile strip of land east of the Kei — had been the stage for repeated wars between the British Empire and the amaXhosa. By 1866, the inevitable had come to pass: the territory was formally annexed to the Cape. This was not a popular move in the Cape Parliament. Most members balked at the idea, not out of principle, but pocket — British Kaffraria was a drain on the Treasury, propped up entirely by funds from London. The Cape, in its self-conscious autonomy, wanted no part in the bill. But Attorney General William Porter reminded his fellow parliamentarians that their indignation was selective. The Cape itself, he said, could not “talk big and look big” when its own house was being kept warm with British money. Independence in name meant little, he warned, if the machinery of government still ticked by the grace of Empire coin. But before the ink was dry on the annexation, another, more immediate matter took precedence — the fate of the amaMfengu, along with the amaNgqika and amaGqunukhwebe. The structures of amaXhosa political authority had already been dismantled within British Kaffraria. Now, as the imperial tide rolled further inland, it was the amaMfengu who found themselves repositioned — this time as subjects to be moved, their loyalty rewarded not with land, but with a fresh dislocation. Soon, the area around Butterworth became an amaMfengu stronghold. Many local amaXhosa were absorbed into their ambit — politically subdued or socially assimilated. For the British, this migration had a twofold effect. It removed thousands of Black residents from British Kaffraria, freeing up land under Crown control. And it advanced a broader goal: clearing the way for the Cape Parliament to annex the territory, albeit reluctantly and under pressure from Westminster. Just to flick the future switch for a moment — Back to the Future, in 2003, a constellation of dignitaries descended on Phokeng for the coronation of Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi of the Bafokeng. That's near Rustenberg just for clarity. Among them were Nelson Mandela, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, First Lady Zanele Mbeki, and the Queen Mother of Lesotho. A drought pressed down on the land in 2003, dry and unforgiving, but the dusty heat did little to mute the occasion's quiet grandeur. For a small nation to command such presence — to draw the gaze of the region's most prominent figures — spoke to something more than mere ceremonial gravity. It hinted at a deeper, long-cultivated influence. This is the story of how the Bafokeng came to be recognised as one of South Africa's most quietly successful peoples — not by avoiding the tides of history, but by learning, early on, how to navigate them. From their dealings with the Boers and Paul Kruger, to their survival under apartheid's grip, the Bafokeng carved a path few expected — and fewer still understood. There's an almost whispered history here, a counterpoint to the dominant narrative of dispossession and defeat. The Bafokeng lived on land of consequence long before that significance was measured in ounces of platinum. It wasn't until the metal was prised from the earth beneath their feet that the rest of the country — and eventually, the world — began to pay attention. But the roots of their agency run deeper, older. They reach back to a time when Paul Kruger was still cobbling together unity among the Voortrekkers, long before his epic confrontations with the British had begun.

South Korea has elected a new president after months of political chaos triggered by the former president's brief declaration of martial law.

Food is life but our food system isn't helping. Designed in a different century for a different purpose—to mass-produce cheap calories to prevent famine—it's now generating obesity, ill health, and premature death. We need to transform it into one that can nourish all eight billion of us and the planet we live on. That is the story learned in Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie. Dr. Gillespie has been fighting to transform our broken food system for the past 40 years. Stuart has been at the helm of the IFPRI's Regional Network on AIDs, Livelihoods, and Food Security, has led the flagship Agriculture for Nutrition and Health research program, was director of the Transform Nutrition program, and founded the Stories of Change initiative, amongst a host of other interventions into public food policy. His work has driven change across all frontiers, from the grassroots to the political.FOOD FIGHT shines a light inside the black box of politics and power and, crucially, maps a way toward a new system that gives us hope for a future of global health and justice. Farmhand supports CSA farmers and this podcast: farmhand.partners/farmtotabletalk

Radhika Das, IFN Journalist, interviews Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Fisheries & Ocean Resources, Republic of Maldives, on IsDB's Lives and Livelihoods Fund, its main objectives and how it is structured as a development initiative

Senator Patty Murray has blinders on when it comes to business. Amazon denies report it considered listing tariff prices for consumers. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's most cringeworthy moment to date. Head of state reparations program offers word soup response to questions. 

Just when tourism season was picking up, the terror strike left hundreds of families in uncertainty. Many locals concede that recovery is unlikely this year.  

Gonggong, sea cucumbers, and carpet anemones—just some of the treasures gleaned from Johor's seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows are often overlooked in conservation plans, yet for coastal communities in Johor, they're essential. In this second episode of our two-part series on seagrass, we want to explore the connection between seagrass meadows and small-scale fishing communities in Johor with Associate Professor Dr Jillian Ooi, a marine ecologist from the University of Malaya. Dr Jillian is the co-author of a study that explored the seagrass-gleaning activities of communities in the Sungai Johor estuary, with a focus on Kampung Perigi Acheh. She joins us to discuss how these underwater grasslands support food security, livelihoods, and culture, especially for women. Image Credit: Associate Professor Dr Jillian OoiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Africa's oceans are vital for economic growth, supporting fisheries, tourism, and coastal livelihoods. But the costs of plastic pollution in our seas are mounting.The World Bank puts the cost of the damage caused by marine plastic pollution at up to US$33,000 per tonne of plastic waste, in West Africa alone. As pollution worsens, researchers say stronger policies, community engagement, and scientific collaboration can protect marine ecosystems in the region.In this episode of Africa Science Focus, reporter Michael Kaloki hears from researchers about the diverse ways to conserve the region's oceans and their ecosystemsDespite existing policies to protect Africa's oceans, implementation remains weak. Juliet Koudonu, a marine biologist at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, says there is lack of enforcement and stresses that policies alone won't drive change without government investment and accountability. For conservation efforts to succeed, policies must align with the needs of coastal communities, says marine social scientist Danai Tembo, a researcher in ocean governance at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. She warns that laws failing to reflect local identities and livelihoods can backfire. Effective conservation requires scientists and local communities to work together. Shehu Akintola, professor of fisheries at the Lagos State University, Nigeria, believes it is important to integrate traditional knowledge with scientific research. The researchers say the continent can protect its marine resources for future generations by enforcing policies, empowering communities, and fostering scientific collaboration.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This podcast was supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative which aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of 18 public science funding agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station. Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

Drones are set to be used this climbing season to ferry heavy equipment and supplies on Mount Everest. The drones are capable of carrying up to 15kg, offering a low risk alternative. This seems like a positive development, but how will this affect the livelihoods of sherpas, who usually carry the heavy loads themselves? Travel blogger Johnny Ward joins us to discuss.

The Trump administration's decision to terminate 90% of USAID's foreign aid contracts slammed humanitarian projects worldwide, from a new hospital in troubled Haiti to the biggest HIV program on the planet in South Africa. Cuts have also cost student loan forgiveness, and national security. Anthony Davis reports. But even those who feared the worst were stunned by the extent of the permanent cuts announced Wednesday, barely a month into the review. Join this channel for exclusive access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News with Anthony Davis is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. Please subscribe HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the 1st Amendment right to free speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Sebastian, founder of Sunlight Yoga and host of the Working in Yoga Podcast, talks with J about recent shifts and long standing debates within the yoga profession. They discuss the history of trade organizations and teacher trainings, nonprofit spaces and fundraising, Yoga Therapy classification, the credentialing shift at the IAYT and The Future of Yoga Facebook Group, elitism and community, marketing and business, pricing and criteria for hiring, clap ins for new teachers, and letting the weight of ones work speak for itself.   To subscribe and support the show… GET PREMIUM.   Check out J's other podcast… J. BROWN YOGA THOUGHTS.    

A 21-year-old girl looking to become a Chinese interpreter and a former pediatric anesthesiologist may not seem like they'd end up on the same career path. However, after watching their beloved home country be torn apart by war, everything changed for Diana Obzhelian and Mykyta Kryzhanovsky.   Diana and Mykyta join Benjamin to discuss how their love for Ukraine led them to the non-profit organization The Halo Trust, where they've dedicated their lives to "demining": clearing landmines and other explosives from former war zones.   Follow Benjamin on X: @BenjaminHallFNC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  Throughout 2024, Democrats and many Republicans warned that if Donald Trump got back in the White House, he would debase the presidency by seeking personal vengeance on enemies, empowering unqualified toadies to lead important public agencies, and issuing half-baked edicts that ignored established law and common sense. Now, after less than two weeks since […]

Welcome to the 9News podcast. A snapshot of the latest stories from the9News team including: ** Lives and livelihoods under bushfire threat ** Government backs in universal childcare ** Tales of survival from Auschwitz The biggest news stories in less than 10 minutes delivered three times a day,with reports from the 9News team across Australia and overseas. Subscribenow to make it part of your daily news dietSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township (St. Clair County). House advances Rep. DeBoyer plan protecting livelihoods, local economies across Michigan

In this week's bonus episode, David Billstrom and Matt Raker, two business leaders who have played important roles in Western North Carolina's attempt to recover from Hurricane Helene, talk about what we're still figuring out about disaster recovery. The world tends to move on pretty quickly after an event, but the economic recovery can drag on for years. And it can be especially devastating for smaller businesses. The data from other catastrophic storms, David tells us, suggest that more than half of the small businesses in the area could be gone within a year. And of course those odds are not improved when insurance companies find ways not to pay claims and when government takes too long to respond. As you'll hear, at the time we recorded the conversation in mid-December, the U.S. Congress still had not appropriated funds to help. That did finally happen at the end of December, but it's still tempting to ask: Shouldn't we be getting better at this? 

Ass'n to Preserve and Protect Local Livelihoods v. Town of Bar Harbor

PJ Coogan speaks to Eugene Drennan, former President Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) about why Holyhead is key to the industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ella Gudwin, CEO of VisionSpring, offers an exploration of how access to affordable eyeglasses is not merely a matter of health but a transformative lever for economic development, productivity, and individual well-being. VisionSpring's innovative hybrid model exemplifies the intersection of philanthropy and social enterprise, as it tackles one of the most pervasive yet solvable challenges in global health: the lack of access to eyeglasses for over one billion people worldwide. Gudwin emphasises the cascading effects of impaired vision in low-income settings, where individuals struggle to perform basic tasks, pursue education, and sustain livelihoods. She describes how VisionSpring reframes eyeglasses not only as a health intervention but also as a vital tool for economic empowerment. The organisation's efforts focus on overcoming both supply- and demand-side barriers, ensuring glasses are accessible, affordable, and desirable.   Central to this mission are the findings from groundbreaking studies. For instance, a 2018 randomised control trial with tea pickers demonstrated a 22% increase in productivity (and 32% for those over 50) after receiving basic near-vision spectacles. More recently, the Thrive Study in Bangladesh revealed a 33% rise in median monthly income for first-time eyeglasses wearers across diverse occupations. These results highlight the immense return on investment in vision correction, with life-changing impacts achieved at minimal cost.   Gudwin underscores the importance of scaling solutions through partnerships, task-sharing frameworks, and global strategies like SPECS 2030 — a coordinated effort launched by the World Health Organization to close the clear vision gap. She outlines VisionSpring's role in training over 25,000 community health workers and embedding vision services into primary care systems, demonstrating that solutions need not rely exclusively on optometrists, who are in short supply globally.   Beyond accessibility, Gudwin stresses the critical task of generating demand. Misconceptions and stigma often deter people from using eyeglasses, especially in communities where glasses are seen as elitist or unnecessary. Addressing these cultural and psychological barriers, VisionSpring is working to normalise eyeglasses as essential tools, akin to sewing machines for tailors or seeds for farmers. The organisation's commitment to “no more poor glasses for poor people” is manifest in its recent launch of stylish, affordable frames that respect individual dignity and preferences.   Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.  

As the UN Biodiversity Conference draws to a close Bertie speaks to María Arango, a lawyer at the international human rights organization Forest People's Programme, about the impacts of the sugar cane industry on Black communities in the Cauca River Valley region of western Colombia. A new report titled The Green Illusion finds that more than 80% of the region's wetlands have been drained in order to plant sugar cane, resulting in Afro-descendant peoples being displaced from their ancestral lands and stripped of vital resources.Bertie and María discuss the report's findings and how international summits such as COP16 present key opportunities to protect the rights of Indigenous people that live in biodiversity hotspots.Further reading: Read the full report: The Green Illusion: Impacts of the Sugar Cane Monoculture on the Biodiversity and Livelihoods of the Black People in the Cauca River Valley, October 2024The Green Monster: Human Rights Impacts of the Sugarcane Industry on Black Communities in Colombia, June 2021'Colombia's cane industry efficient but potentially damaging', Mongabay, March 2017Click here to read our investigation into the UK biomass supply chain, or watch a clip from the BBC Newsnight documentary.

Suresh Shenoy is a Senior business executive and philanthropist. He is a Founder Director and current Vice Chairman of WHEELS Global Foundation that provides technology driven solutions for potable Water, affordable Healthcare, renewable Energy, Education, Livelihoods and Sustainability. He served as Chairman of the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region, was inducted as a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Bombay, and into the new Science Museum Board of advisors that is under construction in Virginia. Here are some key insights from this week's show: Constantly staying relevant is a key motivator to keep one going. When we give time and talent, we make a huge difference. Apply technology for transformation to accelerate the scaling of philanthropy. For any philanthropy to sustain its success, the recipient must have an economic interest in the success of that project. When you ask for the time, you don't want to know how the watch is made. Learn to be content without losing your ambition. Impact every part of a community, as the whole world is wide canvas.

In the News with Mike Dakkakwww.itnshow.comStacy Ograyensek joins ITN to discuss how doctors and nurses callously treated her husband with medications that worsened his condition and discontinued medications that improved his condition, until he ultimately passed away.Please consider supporting Stacy and this all-important lawsuit at https://www.givesendgo.com/RyansFight.Cue Streaming: Network + Premium Channels for $59.99/mo. No Contracts. https://Inthenews.mycuestreaming.com/apply.Purchase Dr. Stella Immanuel's products at https://marketplace.drstellamd.com. Use promo code ITN and save.Shop Richardson Nutritional Center anti-cancer products now and save at https://rncstore.com/itn. Discount code for ITN viewers will be applied at checkout.We are financing the war against us. Give your money instead to companies that care about America and Americans. http://patriotsmade.com/itn.Your support allows me to cover the news the MSM tries to suppress. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itnshow.

Host Alyson Stanfield delves into the necessity of creating demand for your artwork in order to achieve a certain level of success. She discusses the balance between ambition and practicality in the art market and offers five essential tips to assess and cultivate demand effectively. Alyson stresses the importance of setting realistic expectations, refining your unique artistic voice, and nurturing genuine relationships. Through examples from past episodes and insightful advice, she aims to help artists understand and thrive in their respective markets. 00:29 Understanding the Art Market 01:46 Being Unrealistic in Your Art Marketing Strategies 02:48 Defining “Demand” in the Art World 05:20 Challenges and Realities of High Demand 08:22 Benefits of Being an In-Demand Artist 10:12 Two Key Steps to Take 14:32 Five Practical Tips for Artists to Assess Demand 17:00 Resource: How to Ask for More Money for Your Art

In this episode of Why Care? host Nadia Nagamootoo speaks with Sarah Mulindwa, who has uniquely combined her background in nursing with her passion for fashion, to become an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sarah shares her journey from the healthcare sector to the fashion industry, highlighting the challenges and rewards of such a significant career transition. She also discusses her work in sexual health education and the importance of representation and diversity in both fashion and healthcare. This episode is a must-listen for leaders wanting to find out what more they can do to make sexual health more widely spoken about, and how to make menopause part of normal conversation. Highlights Sarah's Career Transition: From a dedicated nursing career to making a bold move into the fashion industry, Sarah shares the challenges and motivations behind her significant career shift. Diversity in Fashion: Sarah discusses the need for greater representation in the fashion industry and how her work is helping to break down barriers. Empowering Through Sexual Health: Sarah shares her work in sexual health education, emphasising the importance of accessible information and resources. The Intersection of Fashion and Health: Discover how Sarah integrates her healthcare background with her passion for fashion to drive change and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leading with Compassion: Sarah emphasises the importance of compassion in leadership, both in healthcare and fashion, and how it has guided her journey. Key Takeaways Sarah's journey highlights the power of reinvention and the impact of bringing diverse perspectives to different industries. Her transition from nursing to fashion illustrates the importance of following one's passion while also addressing industry-wide issues like diversity and inclusion. Emphasises the significance of integrating past experiences into new careers to create unique and impactful contributions. Promoting diversity and sexual health requires both awareness and action, driven by compassionate leadership. Sarah's work in sexual health education showcases the need for accessible and inclusive resources to empower individuals. The conversation underscores the role of leaders in fostering environments where diversity and inclusion can thrive. Sarah's journey highlights the importance of addressing both career transitions and health challenges like menopause in the workplace. Menopause is often overlooked in professional settings, and Sarah emphasises the need for more open conversations and supportive policies. By advocating for inclusive health education, Sarah encourages leaders to create environments where women can thrive through all stages of life, including menopause. Guest Bio Sarah Mulindwa is a former nurse turned fashion industry professional and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. With a background in healthcare, Sarah brings a unique perspective to her work in fashion, focusing on breaking down barriers and promoting representation. She is also deeply involved in sexual health education, striving to make information and resources more accessible to all. Sarah's journey is a testament to the power of reinvention and the importance of compassion in leadership. Links Sarah Mulindwa: LinkedIn | Instagram The charity Sarah supports - Reach A Hand Uganda (a youth-centred organisation focusing on youth empowerment programs with emphasis on Livelihoods & Skills Development, Behavior Change Communication, Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention):  https://reachahand.org/ Nadia Nagamootoo: LinkedIn | Instagram Avenir Consulting: https://linktr.ee/avenirconsultingservices

Dr Camelia Dewan is an environmental anthropologist focusing on the anthropology of development. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology and Environment from the University of London (SOAS/Birkbeck) and is an Associate Senior Lecturer in Cultural Anthropology examining the socio-environmental effects of shipbreaking in Bangladesh. Dr Dewan is the author of Misreading the Bengal Delta: Climate Change, Development and Livelihoods in Coastal Bangladesh (University of Washington Press, 2021). Links _______________________ Camelia Dewan: https://www.uu.se/en/contact-and-orga... Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3jkFkD3 Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3A4PPjZ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/2SwB9Jr Instagram/Twitter/Linkedin: ‪@utopiaisnow‬ Timestamps ____________________ 0:00 - What does it mean to be an anthropologist? 5:25 - Climate discourse about Bangladesh 13:29 - Climate victimisation and Bangladesh's environmental history 26:25 - Climate reductionisms in Bangladesh 36:15 - The politics of climate change 47:35 - Parting thoughts 52:22- Key takeaways Credits ____________________ Thumbnail: Headshot Music: A Journey Through The Universe – Lesion X #anthropology #climatechange #bangladesh

A deep discussion about the significant impact of the internet on the arts economy and the evolving role of artists in today's market that is ruled by the internet. Host Alyson Stanfield talks with William Deresiewicz, author of The Death of the Artist: How Creators are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech. Bill discuss the challenges of discoverability and financial instability while emphasizing the importance of community support as artists navigate this changing landscape. Bill offers valuable insights on adapting to new opportunities in the digital era, helping artists feel less alone in their journeys. 00:54 The Reality of Being an Artist Today  03:43 The Economics of Art in the Digital Age  07:04 The Challenges of Self-Promotion 18:33 The Evolution of the Artist's Role23:49 The Fourth Paradigm: Producer  25:05 The Professional vs. The Bohemian  26:19 Financial Realities and Transparency in the Arts 27:39 The Cost of Being an Artist 31:25 Community and Collaboration Among Artists 33:55 The Role of Cities in Supporting Artists 38:07 Defining What It Means to Be an Artist 42:43 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

2024 has already been a difficult year for extreme weather. The hurricane season on the eastern seaboard of North America is already one of the earliest active seasons on record. Meanwhile, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US, as of August 8th, this year has already seen 19 weather events cause damage upwards of a billion dollars, with 149 people left dead. That's in the US alone.So, how are supercomputing and high performance computing helping to mitigate the effects of such extreme weather? Joining us to discuss is Ilene Carpenter, Earth Sciences segment manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. Do you have a question for the expert? Ask it here using this Google form: https://forms.gle/8vzFNnPa94awARHMA About this week's guest, Ilene Carpenter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilene-carpenter-9a15511/ Sources cited in this week's episode:The first computer weather predictions: https://web.archive.org/web/20200626175559/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/101943.pdfUS National Weather Service computing power: https://www.weather.gov/about/supercomputers#:~:text=NWS%20super%20computers%20hold%20numerical,buoys%2C%20radar%2C%20and%20moreUK Met Office computing power: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/who-we-are/innovation/supercomputerStatistics on US extreme weather damage in 2024: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/Atom interferometry breakthrough: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade4454

2024 has already been a difficult year for extreme weather. The hurricane season on the eastern seaboard of North America is already one of the earliest active seasons on record. Meanwhile, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US, as of August 8th, this year has already seen 19 weather events cause damage upwards of a billion dollars, with 149 people left dead. That's in the US alone.So, how are supercomputing and high performance computing helping to mitigate the effects of such extreme weather? Joining us to discuss is Ilene Carpenter, Earth Sciences segment manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. Do you have a question for the expert? Ask it here using this Google form: https://forms.gle/8vzFNnPa94awARHMA About this week's guest, Ilene Carpenter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilene-carpenter-9a15511/ Sources cited in this week's episode:The first computer weather predictions: https://web.archive.org/web/20200626175559/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/101943.pdfUS National Weather Service computing power: https://www.weather.gov/about/supercomputers#:~:text=NWS%20super%20computers%20hold%20numerical,buoys%2C%20radar%2C%20and%20moreUK Met Office computing power: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/who-we-are/innovation/supercomputerStatistics on US extreme weather damage in 2024: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/Atom interferometry breakthrough: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade4454

2024 has already been a difficult year for extreme weather. The hurricane season on the eastern seaboard of North America is already one of the earliest active seasons on record. Meanwhile, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US, as of August 8th, this year has already seen 19 weather events cause damage upwards of a billion dollars, with 149 people left dead. That's in the US alone.So, how are supercomputing and high performance computing helping to mitigate the effects of such extreme weather? Joining us to discuss is Ilene Carpenter, Earth Sciences segment manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations and what we can learn from it. Do you have a question for the expert? Ask it here using this Google form: https://forms.gle/8vzFNnPa94awARHMA About this week's guest, Ilene Carpenter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilene-carpenter-9a15511/ Sources cited in this week's episode:The first computer weather predictions: https://web.archive.org/web/20200626175559/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/101943.pdfUS National Weather Service computing power: https://www.weather.gov/about/supercomputers#:~:text=NWS%20super%20computers%20hold%20numerical,buoys%2C%20radar%2C%20and%20moreUK Met Office computing power: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/who-we-are/innovation/supercomputerStatistics on US extreme weather damage in 2024: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/Atom interferometry breakthrough: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade4454

On Episode 508 of Impact Boom, Megha Desai of Desai Foundation discusses running non-profits and community programs which cultivate dignity for disadvantaged communities, and how reducing stigma surrounding menstruation will lead to the empowerment of women and girls globally. If you are a changemaker wanting to learn actionable steps to grow your organisations or level up your impact, don't miss out on this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, then check out Episode 398 with Rochelle Courtenay on period poverty and creating dignified community movements -> https://bit.ly/3TefrWU The team who made this episode happen were: Host: Indio Myles Guest(s): Megha Desai Producer: Indio Myles We invite you to join our community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram to stay up to date on the latest social innovation news and resources to help you turn ideas into impact. You'll also find us on all the major podcast streaming platforms, where you can also leave a review and provide feedback.

In this episode, Jessica Anderen, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, provides an in-depth look at the Foundation's commitment to addressing the most pressing global challenges, particularly poverty and climate change. She reflects on her journey within the IKEA ecosystem, from her extensive background in the corporate world to her current leadership role at the Foundation, highlighting the continuity in values that has driven her work over the years. The IKEA Foundation, established by IKEA's founder Ingvar Kamprad 15 years ago, has evolved from a small organization into a significant philanthropic entity, now distributing around 400 million euros annually. The Foundation focuses on sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection, recognizing the intrinsic link between climate change and poverty. The organization's mission is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and its strategy is built on a foundation of strong values and a commitment to creating lasting systemic change. Jessica emphasizes the importance of being on the ground and listening to the people directly affected by these global challenges. Her global experience, having lived and worked in various regions such as China, Bangladesh, and India, has given her unique insights into the local impacts of climate change and poverty. This perspective informs the Foundation's approach, which prioritizes partnerships with local organizations that are deeply embedded in their communities and capable of driving sustainable change. A key aspect of the IKEA Foundation's work is in the energy sector, particularly in accelerating the shift to renewable energy. Jessica shares an inspiring example from their partnership with the SELCO Foundation in India, which aims to provide sustainable solar energy solutions to healthcare facilities, significantly improving access to care for millions of people. This project illustrates the Foundation's broader strategy of supporting initiatives that offer practical, scalable solutions to global challenges. Jessica also discusses the Foundation's approach to developing its new strategic cycle, which will take them to 2030, a pivotal year for the SDGs. The strategy is being co-created with partners across different regions, ensuring that it is responsive to the needs on the ground and capable of delivering meaningful impact. Jessica stresses the importance of accountability, both within the Foundation and among its partners, and the need for clear, pragmatic communication to drive action. Her leadership is characterized by a blend of urgency and optimism, informed by her corporate background, which she leverages to bring a results-oriented mindset to the philanthropic sector. She advocates for simplicity and inclusivity in language and approach, ensuring that their work is accessible and actionable for everyone involved. Jessica believes that by staying true to their values, continuously learning, and fostering intense collaboration across sectors, the IKEA Foundation can create meaningful, lasting change that benefits people and the planet for generations to come. Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 250+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Oluwatamilore Oni speaks with Dr Christian Johannes Meyer, the Director of the Future of Development programme at the Oxford Martin School. Christian's career spans research and programming focused on livelihoods and labour market interventions for vulnerable groups at the University of Oxford, the World Bank and the Center for Global Development. From this rich background, he shares insights on the interactions between micro and macro economics and the confluence of international and domestic policymaking. He also underscores the necessity of humility when working on technology-enabled solutions and how understanding beneficiary behaviours and backgrounds is crucial to effective programming. He likens his work to gardening as in nurturing the seeds of inquiries about the best policies and practices and also to plumbing as in digging into the inner workings and bottlenecks of policy making and implementation. We invite you to enjoy Christian's unique perspective!

Tim Walz wants to be Vice President of our country. His leadership was tested when the Mayor of Minneapolis begged Governor Walz to bring in the National Guard. He refused for days. Former Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka was there when it happened and tells Rick Jensen the Inside Story of how Gov. Tim Walz's Leadership Failure Cost Lives and Livelihoods

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes back Justin Mui to the Restorative Works! Podcast.  Justin joins us again to follow up on the conversation started in episode 42 where he took us through an exploration of the benefits of utilizing a relational mindset in the workplace. Justin shares the journey of LCCS's Restorative Employment Hub initiative which focuses on restoring dignity and providing equitable employment opportunities for formally incarcerated individuals. He discusses how restorative practices foster meaningful connections between these individuals and potential employers, positively reshaping workplace cultures. He also highlights the pivotal role of peer supporters in prisons, the unexpected positive responses from employers, and the personal triumphs of individuals who have embraced and championed restorative practices both during and after incarceration. Justin is the Executive Director at Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd (LCCS), a social service agency located in Singapore that focuses on driving a restorative movement to break the cycle of hurt and build connected communities of empowered individuals, for the people, public and private sectors.  He has facilitated proactive relationship-building and responsive peacemaking circles for management, staff of government agencies, professional associations, and social service agencies. As an advocate for the importance of positive relationships in the workplace and the impact on well-being and productivity, Justin has designed and facilitated experiences such as “Conversations that Matter” for companies to foster a space for leaders to adopt a relational mindset and strengthen workplace relationships. He also designed Restorative Leadership learning experiences for middle managers and senior management from the Youth Residential Service Ministry of Social and Family Development. Justin has a master's in Tri-Sector Collaboration from the Singapore Management University and is a registered social worker with the Singapore Association of Social Workers. He is also a Master Solution-Focused Brief Therapist with the International Alliance of Solution-Focused Teaching Institutes. Tune in to learn more about LCCS's Restorative Employment Hub and read Dr. John Bailey's Presidential Paper A science of human dignity: Belonging, voice and agency as universal human needs, as mentioned in this episode.

A Clare member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee is defending a recommended increase for taxi fares as a necessary move to secure a livelihood for drivers. It comes as the National Transport Authority has suggested a maximum 9% hike for taxi journey's nationwide. The decision was made as part of the NTA's two-yearly review of industry charges amid concerns the potential knock-on impact that inflation could have on consumer demand for taxis. Mountshannon Fianna Fáil Senator Timmy Dooley insists the move will keep staff in an essential transport service.

In this month's episode we are delighted to be joined by Brazilian agroecologist, Karen Nobre Krull, who has worked on projects in federal environmental and research institutions in Brazil, such as EMBRAPA and ICMBio, and in the last year with the NGO Imaflora. Her work focuses on developing strategies and implementing actions with rural communities for the agroecological transition of productive systems, regenerative agriculture, and rural development, incorporating environmental, social, and economic aspects. Over the past four years, her work has been concentrated in the Brazilian Amazon, particularly in the state of Pará.  In this conversation Karen gives us insight into how she first became interested in the topic of family farming and how it supports the spread of agroecological practices. Agroecological farming in Brazil stands as an alternative to the industrial agricultural practices associated with the dominant food system. Creating space for these small farmers is increasingly important in the face of the agroextractivist spread of monoculture agriculture like soybeans and corn.  If you are interested in these topics, Karen recommends the book, Ideas to Postpone the End of the World by Ailton Krenak Interested to hear more about Karen's research? https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-nobre-krull-24420118b/  Check out the presentation Karen gave in connection with the EXALT Initiative and the TreesForDev Project https://youtu.be/gKzH0xWFcCM?si=XyWzO4YVAn9db-ng  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/exalt-initiative/message

Howdy, Ags! Keith Alaniz ‘04 returns to the show today to share the progress his company, Rumi Spice, has made and what actions he took to get the business where it is now. He describes the beginnings of the business, the lessons he's learned and pivots he's taken, as well as the importance of following your North Star, and much more. If you would like to connect with Keith and Rumi Spice, check out their website at https://www.rumispice.com/  or on Instagram @rumi_spice!              About Rumi Spice, is a direct source of the highest quality spices from rural farmers and women in Afghanistan to help provide reliable wages and economic stability. Rumi Spice is on a mission to create connections to the vibrant culture of the Middle East, its delicious food, and its people. Timestamps: [00:00 - 01:36] Intro [01:37 - 05:17] Starting Rumi Spice [05:18 - 13:56] Changes Made to be Sustainably Profitable [13:57 - 17:23] Impact, High-Quality, Transparency, Ethical Sourcing   [17:24 - 21:33] Political Risk  [21:37 - 25:58] Lessons Learned  [25:59 - 29:44] Leveraging AI in Rumi Spice  [29:45 - 31:16] BHAG & Connect with Keith    [31:17 - 36:37] Chris and Greg's Takeaways [36:38 - 37:49] Outro   Resources: Website: https://www.rumispice.com/             AGH Website: https://www.aggiegrowthhacks.com/   Connect with Greg and Chris! Apple: http://bit.ly/AGH-Apple Spotify: http://bit.ly/AggieGH Stitcher: http://bit.ly/AGH-Stitch Podbean: http://bit.ly/AGH-PB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZx9NMwnBXs5RWC3Rwqkpw

AP correspodnent Karen Chammas reports on floods in Afghanistan.

Conservation is often more about understanding people than studying the animals we are trying to protect. In this episode we learn from Dr Hollie Booth, research fellow at the University of Oxford, who has worked extensively with small-scale fisheries in Indonesia, the world's largest shark fishing nation. Hollie's work aims to disentangle the drivers of shark fishing in order to find solutions that have positive outcomes for both sharks and coastal communities. Here, we discuss the complexities of fisheries and the many reasons why someone might catch and trade sharks. And, we talk about the importance of finding conservation strategies that are socially just as well as ecologically effective. You can follow Hollie and her work:  @the_hollietype (instagram) @kebersamaan_untuk_lautan (instagram) @hollieboothie (twitter) https://saveourseas.com/project/solutions-for-shark-fisheries-in-a-surfers-paradise/ https://mcem.web.ox.ac.uk/incentive-based-marine-conservation   Shownotes:  www.saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/podcast  

This week: At the recent responsible sourcing and ethical trade forum in London, Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh spoke with some of the expert participants to reflect on the conversations that took place. Hear from Sam Ludlow Taylor from the John Lewis Partnership, Peter McAllister from the Ethical Trading Initiative and Wayne Jordash from Business and Human Rights Compliance.   Plus: During his recent trip to India, Innovation Forum's Toby Webb spoke with Alison Ward and Dawa Dorje from CottonConnect about how the cotton sector is tackling its impacts, moving to a more regenerative approach and improving farmer livelihoods. Sign up here for Innovation Forum's YouTube channel for a documentary on the cotton value chain in India due to be released alongside Innovation Forum's sustainable apparel and textiles conference in Amsterdam (23rd-24th April).     And, UN's Global E-waste Monitor highlights the need for more e-waste recycling capacity; majority of EU agriculture ministers back Austria's proposal to water down the EUDR; and, according to InfluenceMap, coal, gas and cement production sectors' carbon footprint has grown since the Paris agreement, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh

As protesting farmers surround the EU commission in Brussels, their livelihoods are being traded to reach a net zero goal with questionable benefits for humanity. We take a deeper look at the ‘equitable' future governments are seeking.

Episode 109 with Ted Pantone, a dynamic startup leader with a relentless drive to achieve results, boasts a proven track record of guiding young businesses and entrepreneurial teams towards success. With the launch of four startups under his belt, he has secured over $20 million in funding and has actively invested in over 50 businesses.Additionally, Ted serves as the co-founder and CEO of Turaco, a pioneering venture revolutionising healthcare financing in emerging markets. Recognising the dire need for accessible insurance products and financing options among consumers in these regions, Turaco has devised streamlined insurance solutions, distributed through mobile technology, to effectively address the healthcare financing challenges faced by customers in these markets.What We Discuss With Ted PantoneHow did you identify there was a gap in the market for what you wanted to offer?The insurance penetration rate in Africa is just 3%. What challenges and opportunities do you see for disrupting the insurance industry on the continent?Turaco aims to insure over 1 billion lives in Africa. What steps is the company taking to scale its operations?Turaco sells health insurance for as low as $0.5 per month. How do you ensure the affordability of your products while maintaining financial sustainability for the company?Turaco recently acquired MicroEnsure in Ghana. How does this acquisition contribute to Turaco's overall strategy, and what advantages does it bring to the company's mission?Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notesDid you miss my previous episode where I discuss Empowering Africa: Saving Lives and Livelihoods by Strengthening Africa's Public Health Systems with Julie Gichuru? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamuConnect with Ted on LinkedIn at Ted Pantone, and Twitter @tedpantoneSupport the showDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk

Episode 108 with Julie is the Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer at the Mastercard Foundation, overseeing corporate, programmatic, policy, and thought leadership communications with a team spanning Africa and Canada.The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organisations to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.Mastercard Foundation wants a world where young people are included and are thriving, and their leadership and contributions matter. A future where young people are driving transformative change and achieving their full potential.What We Discuss With Julie GichuruElaborate on your role at Mastercard Foundation and the key areas you oversee, such as corporate, programmatic, policy, and thought leadership communications.Since you've been involved in the social development space in Africa, how have you seen it develop?What more can be done to further progress the development space in Africa? What are the biggest challenges that the social development space currently faces in Africa, and how have you seen the Mastercard Foundation overcome these challenges?Can you elaborate on the goals and strategies of Saving Lives & Livelihoods, especially in terms of enabling vaccine purchases, delivery, and manufacturing across Africa?Full show notes and resources can be found here: Unlocking Africa show notesDid you miss my previous episode where I discuss Exploring New African Cuisines That Focus on Traditional Ingredients and Culture with Selassie Atadika? Make sure to check it out!Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps!Connect with Terser on LinkedIn at TerserAdamu, and Twitter @TerserAdamuConnect with Julie on LinkedIn at Julie Gichuru, and Twitter @JulieGichuruSupport the showDo you want to do business in Africa? Explore the vast business opportunities in African markets and increase your success with ETK Group. Connect with us at www.etkgroup.co.uk or reach out via email at info@etkgroup.co.uk

In this episode, Karol and Carol Roth discuss societal expectations, financial changes, and the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. Karol explores the fascination with Taylor Swift's dating life and the societal misconceptions about traditional gender roles. Roth discusses her book on the upcoming financial world order and the potential challenges it poses. She also explains the concept of social credit systems and their implications. Karol & Carol emphasize the importance of choosing happiness, owning valuable assets, and using humor as a coping mechanism. The Karol Markowicz Show is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.Follow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer, unrelenting heat waves have taken a devastating toll in many parts of the world, putting this year on track to be the hottest ever recorded.Coral Davenport, who covers energy and environmental policy for The Times, and Dana Smith, a reporter for the Well section, discuss what it means to live in this new normal, an era in which extreme heat threatens our way of life.Guest: Coral Davenport, an energy and environmental policy correspondent for The New York Times.Dana G. Smith, a reporter for the Well section of The New York Times.Background reading: Heat is costing the U.S. economy billions in lost productivity.Here's what extreme heat does to your body.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.