Podcasts about transforming agriculture

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2018 53:46

When we stop treating dirt like dirt, when we accept it’s neither ‘dirt cheap’ nor ‘dirt poor’, we will come to realise it is the most precious resource we have. Treat dirt, or soil, the way you want to be treated. In this episode, David R. Montgomery joins us to talk about how soil has shaped the course of civilisations. From the Classical Greeks and the Romans to the Maya civilisation – the story of soil and its mistreatment has been central to explaining why civilisations collapse. The plow – the tool that defines farming - is the number one culprit. Some argue it has been more destructive than the sword. David is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, he is a MacArthur Fellow, and author of King of Fish: The Thousand-year Run of Salmon; The Rocks Don't Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah's Flood; Dirt: The Erosions of Civilizations; The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health (which he co-authored with Anne Biklé); and Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life. We cover: A crash course on soil, soil formation, erosion and degradation The myth that ancient civilisations lived and farmed in harmony with nature The central role of soil in the fall of ancient Greece and Rome The plow: more destructive than the sword? Soil erosion and colonialism, slavery and empire Soil and climate change Soilutions: the promise of conservation agriculture Links: David Montgomery’s Website and Twitter Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisation– David R. Montgomery The Rocks don’t Lie: A Geologist investigates Noah’s Flood - David R. Montgomery The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health - David R. Montgomery & Anna Biklé Growing A Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life- David R. Montgomery You might also like: FFS 034 – Wizards and Prophets FFS 024 – The Soilution: Saving our soils, saving ourselves FFS 011 – Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

FFS 034 - Wizards and Prophets

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2018 50:11

Are you a Wizard or a Prophet? Two largely forgotten 20th century thinkers – Norman Borlaug and William Vogt – continue to shape our competing visions of the future of our planet. In this episode, we talk to Charles C. Mann, award-winning author of The Wizard and the Prophet, about these remarkable scientists and their lasting influence. Borlaug – the Wizard – is a Nobel-winning scientist who kickstarted the agricultural ‘Green Revolution’, while Vogt – the Prophet – laid the foundations for the modern environmental movement. The path we choose to solve our environmental dilemmas hinges on how we understand and frame the problems we face. Is innovation and technology the solution that will push us beyond our predicaments to overcome earth’s natural boundaries, or is the answer to scale back and respect the ecological limits of our planet? Charles and I discuss: Who the Prophets and Wizards are, what they believe in and what they’ve achieved, and how they envision the future Who the contemporary Prophets and Wizards are that continue to shape public debate How these competing visions dictate debates in agriculture, water scarcity, energy, and climate change The politics and power dynamics behind the visions of Prophets and Wizards What’s at stake if we choose one path over another A sobering (and rather terrifying) alternative third vision Links: Chalres C. Mann ‘Can Planet Earth Feed 10 Billion People?’ The Atlantic Charles C. Mann ‘The Wizard and the Prophet’ William Vogt ‘The Road to Survival’ Noel Vietmeyer 'Our Daily Bread; The Essential Norman Borlaug' You May Also like: FFS 013 – How Plants Domesticated Humans FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future FFS 009 – Stop Generalising GMOs

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FFS 031 - Farmers Facing Brexit

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2018 35:58

In this episode, we talk to Patrick Holden about the hopes and fears of British farming after Brexit. Patrick is a pioneer of the modern sustainable food movement. He is the Founding Director and current Chief Executive of the Sustainable Food Trust, an organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to more sustainable food and farming systems. Previously, he has been the founding chairman of British Organic Farmers in 1982, and the former Director of the Soil Association, where he played a key role in the development of organic standards and the market for organic foods for nearly 20 years. Patrick is also a farmer, and runs the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales, and wrote the world’s first draft of the organic dairy standards in the 80s. In this episode, Patrick and I discuss: The mood in British agriculture towards Brexit The UK government’s Brexit plan for agriculture Brexit: an opportunity for a decisive shift towards sustainable agriculture? Brexit’s impact on subsidies, trade deals, EU migrant farmworkers, animal welfare and abattoirs What Brexit can teach the EU about agriculture Links: Sustainable Food Trust Website DEFRA Health and Harmony consultation paper Sustainable Food Trust Response to DEFRA paper The Guardian: ‘UK has nearly 800 livestock mega farms, investigation reveals’ You may also like: FFS 028 - Money Well Spent? Farm Subsidies in the EU FFS 024 – The Soilution: saving our soil, saving ourselves FFS 011 – Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - MBohman

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 11:29

Speaker: Mary Bohman, Administrator, Economic Research Service, USDA Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - SFan

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 11:26

Speaker: Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - MLopes

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 12:20

Speaker: Maurício Antônio Lopes, President, Embrapa Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - GMartha

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 2:43

Introductory Remarks by Geraldo B. Martha Jr., Coordinator, Embrapa, Labex-USA Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - RPandya-Lorch

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 1:09

Moderator: Rajul Pandya-Lorch, Director, Communications and Public Affairs. Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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IFPRI Special Event: Transforming Agriculture - 5/15/2018 - M.Jank

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2018 14:30

Speaker: Marcos Sawaya Jank, President, Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance and IFPRI Board member Successful agricultural transformations around the world provide critical lessons and offer insights into opportunities for other countries seeking to take this step forward. At this special event, we will learn about Brazil’s agricultural transformation from Embrapa’s President, Maurício Lopes. IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan will share insights from Asian countries, ERS Administrator Mary Bohman will review the experience of the United States, and Asia-Brazil Agro Alliance President Marcos Jank will discuss the role of the food industry in agricultural transformation.

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FFS 030 - Meditating Farmers: building social capital

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Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2018 33:43

Shifting mindsets at the grassroots level lies at the heart of The Art of Living’s approach to sustainable agriculture. An epidemic of farmer suicides has claimed over 300,000 lives in India since 1995. By investing in social capital, The Art of Living focuses on bringing back self-esteem and self-confidence in rural communities. Farmers practice yoga, breathing exercises and meditation for stress-relief and personal development - investing in themselves to become productive and proactive advocates for change. Livelihoods are transformed by taking charge and ownership of the challenges faced. This episode was recorded live at The Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru, India during the visit of students from HEC Paris. Himanshu Kelra, Director of Institutional Relations of the Center, explains The Art of Living’s approach to building social capital. The talk covers: A brief history of international development aid models in India Boreholes crops, depleted aquifers and the tragedy of the commons The Art of Living’s river rejuvenation projects How to build trust, engage and empower rural communities How to measure the impact of changing mindsets Links: The Art of Living – Website The Art of Living – Projects in India The Art of Living – Water projects You May Also Like: FFS 026 - We Need To Talk About Monsanto FFS 024 - The Soilution: Saving our Soils, Saving Ourselves FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

FFS 024 - The Soilution: saving soil, saving ourselves

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2017 49:31

In the Age of People, the plow was, and remains, one of the most destructive inventions. In his new book Growing A Revolution, award-winning author David R. Montgomery calls on farmers to ditch the plow, bring back cover crops, and grow for diversity. Such an agricultural revolution puts soil health at the center of farming. It transforms agriculture from a destructive practice that is very much part of the problem to a major solution that combats climate change. In this episode, we talk to David and discuss: What soil is, and why farming depends above all on healthy soils What conservation agriculture is and why it works better, including: why tilling your land is not a good idea why an overdependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides turns plants into ‘botanical couch potatoes’ Why monocrops are vulnerable to pests, disease, and climate change How labels such as organic or conventional are missing the point How farming can shift from a carbon-emitting activity to a carbon-storing activity What obstacles still remain to making conservation farming the norm “The debate over the future of agriculture is misrepresented when cast as the simple choice between organic methods and AgroTech approaches like GMOs. It really comes down to the philosophical rift between agricultural practices based on enhancing nutrient cycling and soil health versus those that mine soil fertility and attempt to replace or compensate for degraded soil health with technology and commercial products” David R. Montgomery Links: Growing A Revolution: Bringing our soil back to life Growing a Revolution excerpt: 'Giving the Plow the Boot in the Era of Climate Change' Dig2Grow: David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé's website David R. Montgomery & Anne Biklé on Twitter You might also like: FFS 013 - How Plants Domesticated Humans FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future FFS 003 - The OurField Cereal Co-op Movement

FFS 022 - The Bird is the Word

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2017 69:37

This year for Thanksgiving, Americans will consume 46 million turkeys. Factory farming has never been more 'efficient'. This same year, the US has consumed 9 billion chickens. Worldwide, we managed to eat 50 billion. How does this system function? What makes it so effective and profitable? It all comes down to one word: genetics. Since the 1950s, heritage breeds of poultry, or standard-bred poultry, have been gradually replaced by an army of uniform hybrid birds. Bred to grow as large as possible and as quickly as possible, hybrids are exceptionally profitable for Big Agriculture, and have come to dominate the global poultry industry. In this episode, I talk with Andrew DeCoriolis from Farm Forward and Frank R. Reese Jr., owner of the Good Shepherd Poultry Farm, about the need to preserve heritage breeds. We explore: How animal welfare, the livelihoods of farmers and the environment are best protected when the genetic diversity of these birds is preserved. How free-range, pasture-raised and organic meat movements are counterproductive if we fail to win the battle of genetics. How supporting heritage poultry this Thanksgiving is one of the strongest and most effective ways to boycott factory farming and support sustainable agriculture. Farm Forward is a US-based non-profit that implements innovative strategies to promote conscientious food choices, reduce farmed animal suffering, and advance sustainable agriculture. Farm Forward is helping Frank Reese share his knowledge with the next generation of farmers by launching the Good Shepherd Poultry Institute (GSPI). Frank Reese is a fourth-generation Kansas farmer with more than 60 years of experience breeding and raising heritage poultry. An award-winning master breeder and American Poultry Association (APA) judge, Frank owns and operates one of the few successful heritage poultry farms in America, the Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch, which has garnered praise from Martha Stewart, celebrity chef Mario Batali, the New York Times, and is featured centrally in the documentary film Eating Animals, which recently premiered at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival. Links: Farm Forward Website Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch Good Shepherd Poultry Institute American Poultry Association Heritage Foods USA Buying Poultry (rating poultry products website) Eating Animals Documentary Teaser trailer USDA Poultry statistics You may also like: FFS 021 – My Beef with Veganism FFS 011 – Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future FFS 008 – Edible Insects: the diet of tomorrow?

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FFS 020 - Optimising the Food Economy with Blockchain

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2017 46:10

Like the combustion engine, the telephone, and the Internet before it, blockchain has the potential to transform how human society functions. What would such a transformation look like in the food industry? In this episode, we talk with Blockchain theorist Melanie Swan about what is possible. We explore: What 'Blockchain' is How Blockchain is transforming Big Food businesses redefining operational efficiency and the transparency of supply chains How Blockchain can empower consumers Farm-to-fork transparency: instant verification of where your food comes from Holding Big Food accountable through real-time financial interest tracking of the businesses supplying your food Ensuring end-user data ownership How Blockchain optimises the sharing economy Community coins: local currencies enabling a peer-based local economy for sharing resources ‘The Uber for microgreens’: real-time on-demand peer sharing of overproduced local products with your neighbours How Blockchain can help in the fight against world hunger, malnutrition, and food waste Links: The Institute for Blockchain Studies Broader Perspective - Melanie Swan's blog Forbes - 'IBM Forges Blockchain Collaboration with Nestlé and Walmart in Global Food Safety' Banking on Bitcoin - Netflix Documentary You may also like: FFS 017 - When Farms Go Vertical FFS 012 - Cultured Meat: Looking Beyond the Hype with New Harvest FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

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FFS 019 - World Sustainable Food Capital

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2017 33:31

Since 2015, more than 150 cities around the globe have come together to rethink the way we feed our cities. As signatories to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, they share a commitment to developing sustainable food systems that are inclusive, resilient, safe and diverse. The city of Valencia, the 2017 World Sustainable Food Capital, is leading by example. In this episode, we discuss: The history and vision of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact The role of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in helping to realise this mission Why Valencia is the 2017 World Sustainable Food Capital Why cities truly matter in the fight for sustainable food and food justice We interview: Guido Santini - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO) Dorothee Fischer - International Press and Communications Manager - Valencia World Sustainable Food Capital 2017 Vincente Domingo - Commissioner of Valencia World Sustainable Food Capital Links: Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Website Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Text UN FAO Food for the Cities Programme Valencia World Sustainable Food Capital 2017 Website United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 You might also like: FFS 017 - When Farms go Vertical FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future FFS 005 - Learn by Doing: a 100-Mile Diet in Paris For #HortAttack Valencia Campaign Visuals, visit the For Food's Sake website episode post FFS 019 - World Sustainable Food Capital

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FFS 011 - Transforming Agriculture to Feed the Future

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2017 49:55

Humans have been producing food using the same paradigm for 10,000 years. But the burden of a growing population and the impacts of an industrial approach to farming threaten the entire enterprise. The Land Institute is working on a solution. In this episode, we talk with Fred Lutzi, President of The Land Institute, about their unique approach to transforming current destructive agricultural practices. The Land Institute is a science-based research organization based in Kansas, US, that is developing perennial crops as an alternative to current unsustainable practices in agriculture. Instead of relying on and tweaking extractive industrial systems, the institute focuses on perennial grains grown using regenerative agricultural practices. “Agriculture must understand and mimic sustaining natural systems if we hope to feed a growing world population”. In the episode we discuss: What Fred thinks are the major problems of agriculture today What the Land Institute means by transforming agriculture by developing a ‘Natural Systems Agriculture’ What perennial crops are, what they promise, and how they differ from annual crops The Land Institute’s Kernza® wheatgrass crop and the road to commercialization Why perennial crops are currently not the norm: what’s holding us back? What Fred thinks we can all do as consumers to work towards a common goal A pilgrimage to the beer of the future: Long Root Ale – a Kernza®-based beer by Patagonia Provisions Links The Land Institute website More about Perennial plants Great video about Long Root Ale - A Kernza®-based beer by Patagonia Provisions The Land Institute's global research partners

Planting the Future: Transforming Agriculture | Fred Kirschenmann

Bioneers: Ecological Food and Farming

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2016 22:21

What does the future hold for organic agriculture? Fred Kirschenmann, a respected leader of the sustainable agriculture movement discusses the history of organic farming. Can organic agriculture survive in our industrial food system, or do we need to make sweeping changes to our whole approach to food production and consumption? This speech was presented at the 2003 National Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA. Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. To experience talks like this, please join us at the Bioneers National Conference each October, and regional Bioneers Resilient Community Network gatherings held nationwide throughout the year. Learn more about Bioneers' Restorative Food Systems program here http://www.bioneers.org/programs/rest... and stay in touch via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/bioneers).

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Transforming Agriculture | Fred Kirschenmann

Bioneers: Ecological Food and Farming

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2016 21:51

Because agriculture is the single most environmentally destructive human activity, transforming our food and farming systems is central to restoring both the environment and human health. Kirschenmann has been at the forefront of identifying the challenges to agriculture and the course needed to build a more adaptive and resilient food system. His bird’s-eye view has informed a new ecological farming model that is steadily gaining traction, one local watershed at a time. This speech was given at the 2003 Bioneers National Conference and is part of the Ecological Food and Farming Collection, Vol. 1. Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. To experience talks like this, please join us at the Bioneers National Conference each October, and regional Bioneers Resilient Community Network gatherings held nationwide throughout the year. For more information on Bioneers, please visit http://www.bioneers.org and stay in touch via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Bioneers.org) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/bioneers).

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Transforming Agriculture in Africa - Sep 26, 2013 (4)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2013 14:51

Presentation by Shenggen Fan, Director General of IFPRI at the IFPRI Policy seminar, "Transforming Agriculture in Africa", held September 26, 2013 in Washington DC.

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Transforming Agriculture in Africa - Sep 26, 2013 (3)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2013 24:59

Presentation by Yaya Olaniran, chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the IFPRI Policy seminar, "Transforming Agriculture in Africa", held September 26, 2013 in Washington DC.

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Transforming Agriculture in Africa - Sep 26, 2013 (2)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2013 22:26

Presentation by Khalid Bomba, CEO of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency at the IFPRI Policy seminar, "Transforming Agriculture in Africa", held September 26, 2013 in Washington DC.

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Transforming Agriculture in Africa - Sep 26, 2013 (1)