Gabrielle speaks about her latest book. Her background includes being an Australian parliament press gallery journalist, a columnist and blogger forThe Gaurdian currently and a farmers wife. She tells us what she knows about farming, politics and policy that affects faring and supply chains. Farming sits at the intersection of the world's biggest challenges around climate change, soil, water, energy, natural disasters and zoonotic diseases. Yet Australia has no national food policy. No national agriculture strategy. Our water policy is close to the Hunger Games. People with means can shop at farmers' markets and order brunch, by the provenance of their eggs, bacon, butter, tomatoes and greens. But do they really understand the trade-offs required to grow it? In this book Gabrielle Chan examines the past, present and future of farming with her characteristically forensic eye. She lays out how our nation, its leaders, farmers and eaters. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/why-you-should-give-a-fck-about-farming-9781760899332

Dr. Mick Roderick speaks to Michelle Michels about the Regent Honeyeater captive bred release program he assisted with in his role as an ecologist with Birdlife Australia. The program is vital in trying to halt the extinction of small yellow spotted Australian native. The Recovery Team has released 58 captive bred birds in release program in the Hunter Valley NSW. They have been working alongside the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Taronga Zoo Conservation Society Australia, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) and other local stakeholders to coordinate this release. At best, there are just a few hundred Regent Honeyeaters left in the wild – with much of their population limited to NSW. With their numbers so critically low, captive breeding and release could mean the difference between extinction and survival. PLEASE DONATE to this program https://birdlife.org.au/media/2021-regent-honeyeater-release

Photo credit - Dr. Mick Roderick

Senator Mehreen Faruqi is a Greens Senator for NSW in the Australian Parliament. She is well regarded for her work on women's rights, human's rights, animal rights and multicultural platform. Mehreen is also the first Muslim woman to be elecetd into Federal parliament. Michelle Michels caught up with Mehreen at Renew Fest in Mullumbimby NSW in May 2021. The pivotal sustainability festival for the Northern Rivers. Mehreen speaks on the pressing topic of housing affordability and women's abortion rights, her contribution to getting abortions legalised in NSW in 2020 and animal rights.

Mehreen Faruqi is a current Australian Greens Senator. She was prevuisly anMP in the NSW parliament. Her qualifications include being an Environmental engineer and a human rights advocate. Renew Fest is the pivotal sustainability festival for the Northern rivers region. Judy Shelley organises the Media tent for Bay FM with Renata from the Multicultural Team from Bay FM. Mehreen speaks here about various issues in her portfolio.

Lauren Ornelas-

is the founder and the executive director of the Food Empowerment Project, a nonprofit food justice organization that spotlights the abuse of animals on farms, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in communities of color and low-income areas.Lauren has spent her entire life on the front lines fighting for human and animal rights. She went vegan and became an activist in the 80s, later she founded and ran the animal right’s organization

Dr Natalia Szablewska -

is a law expert at Auckland University of Technology. She is a Modern Slavery Law expert and Humanitarian advocate. Dr Szablewska said sometimes people may not even know they are a victim of Modern Slavery or what's happening to them is illegal.

She says traffickers tend to have a good way of building bonds with their victims, and making them appear like a perceived protector.

Serrata Martin-

The tea industry particularly in India has a long history of indentured slavery . The Organic India' Ayurvedic Tea Company is trying to change these practices. Jodee speaks to Serrata Martin about the tea industry and how we consume and purchase tea products.

Gordon Renouf from 'Good on You' speaks to Jodee speaks about the sustainable ethical clothing app encouraging consumers to buy. he global fashion industry has a huge problem with pollution, waste and human rights abuses. Like you, we care for our planet, people and animals, and we want to live in a world that’s sustainable and fair. We are a group of campaigners, fashion professionals, scientists, writers and developers who have come together to drive that change. Thank you to the Community Broadcasting Foundation (Australia) for funding for this project.

https://goodonyou.eco/

Ms. (Waskam) Emelda Davis is a second-generation Australian South Sea Islander who has worked for federal, state, community and grassroots organizations in Australia where she has exhibited diverse expertise in community development, education, training, media and marketing.

Emelda speaks to Jodee Sydney about the history of slavery and the issue in Australia and the North Coast of NSW. Islander people who were brought to Australia to pick sugar cane and work on farms. The practice was common and many descendants live in Australia today. Some mixed with the Aboriginal communities. The contribution of these enslaved people is not widely recognised in Australia.

Jodee also speaks to Lauren Ornelas about the modern slaves and children used in the food industry supply chains in farming We envision a food system free from the exploitation of humans and the environment and with equitable access to healthy, sustaining food for all communities; where non-human animals are not seen as food but as individuals with lives, personalities, friendships, and family and are free from harm and exploitation; and where workers, communities, and the environment are always protected and treated with dignity, respect, and appreciation.

Nick Grono is an Australian (ex-pat) human rights campaigner who heads the Freedom Fund in London – the world's first private donor fund dedicated to ending slavery. hels about the work 'The Freedom Fund' is doing throughout modern slavery affected countries to assist in reducing the incidence of human trafficking into modern slavery. Nick is also the co-chair of the Jo Cox Foundation, and a board member of Girls Not Brides, the Global Partnership to End Child Marriage. Nick was the inaugural CEO of the Walk Free Foundation, a leading international actor in the fight against modern slavery. Prior to this, Nick was the Deputy President and COO of the International Crisis Group (ICG), the world’s leading conflict prevention NGO. Nick has testified on conflict and human rights issues before the European, UK, Dutch, and Australian Parliaments.

Jodee Sydney speaks to Om Prakash Gurjar and Renée Chopping from 'Destiny Rescue'. Prakash is an Indian children's rights activist and recipient of the 2006 International Children's Peace Prize. He was born in Rajasthan, India and was a victim of illegal child labor. He is known for his fight to keep public schools in India free and advocating for birth certificate registration for children to protect their rights. In addition, he and two friends founded the organization, Paatshala, which facilitates evening classes in reading, writing, and math for children. Prakash speaks about his experiences and movement to end child slave labor in India. Jodee also speaks to Renee Chopping about the challenging and valuable work Destiny Rescue is an doing going into Asia to rescue children and young people from sexual slavery. https://www.destinyrescue.org.au/our-work/about-us/

Jodee speaks to Gordon Renouf from 'Good on You' about how consumers can make better choices. 10 % of the worlds carbon footprint comes from the apparel industry. Where are garments and fabrics made ? https://www.australiancircularfashion.com.au/gordon-renouf/

Are workers being paid fairly for the labor that they are contributing. Are they treated well ? Do they have any labor rights ? Are they enslaved. Are companies aware of the transparency of their supply chains. Companies have the choice to have modern slavery free goods and products.

Jodee also speaks to James Bartlett from Outland Denim about these issues an their approach to 'fair fashion'. https://www.mindfood.com/article/outland-denim/