It’s All About Food

The podcast explores the gap between Costa Rica’s celebrated green reputation and the more complicated reality on the ground, using two personal observations as entry points: noticing less organic food in stores than 20 years ago, and experiencing a water shutoff in San Isidro. It traces the history of organic agriculture in Costa Rica — how it boomed in the late 90s but was largely export-driven, leaving little for local consumers — and explains how agroecological farming and domestic markets are now quietly growing as alternatives. It confronts the uncomfortable fact that despite its environmental image, Costa Rica is one of the world’s heaviest pesticide users per hectare, driven by industrial pineapple and banana monocultures. The water crisis is unpacked through four layers: climate variability and El Niño, aging infrastructure, growing demand, and policy gaps. A livestock segment examines how cattle ranching drove massive deforestation historically, how it still occupies over a third of the country’s land, and how silvopastoral and low-carbon farming practices are trying to change that. Everything is tied together by showing that food systems, land use, and water security are deeply interconnected — and closes with practical things listeners can do, whether they’re in Costa Rica or not.

This episode features Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei covering three big cultural flashpoints through an uncompromising, no-nonsense lens. Billie Eilish's viral callout of meat-eaters — her blunt Instagram post, the predictable backlash, and what the ugly comments reveal about where we are as a society. A look at Suffs, the Broadway musical bringing the women's suffrage movement back into the spotlight, and the hard-fought history behind the 19th Amendment and its connection to the animal rights movement. From there, the conversation shifts to the Equal Rights Amendment — still not enshrined in the Constitution over a century after it was first introduced, despite hitting the 38-state ratification threshold. After a discussion on rejuvenation and recharging when tired and frustrated with the long game of activism, they conclude with a segment on addiction, culture, and marketing. No softening, no sponsors to protect, just honest talk.

TITLE: Melanie Joy, PhD, Practice Integrity

TITLE: Gardening: Nature Always Finds a Way In

DESCRIPTION: Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei discuss their 2026 container gardening experiences on their NYC terrace, focusing on persistent wildlife challenges (squirrels and pigeons) and the broader context of food security, organic farming, and glyphosate's ongoing legal and health controversies. The conversation emphasizes the importance of home gardening as food prices rise and agricultural systems face mounting pressures.

Description: Isa Chandra Moskowitz is the bestselling author of I Can Cook Vegan, Isa Does It, Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook, and many more. 

For the 17th anniversary of IT'S ALL ABOUT FOOD, we're doing something different: taking a clear-eyed look at where the vegan food movement has been — and where it still needs to go. In this episode: the explosive growth of veganism, the staggering lobbying gap between plant-based and animal agriculture, the ag-gag laws still being passed in 2025, and the moving story of Angel Moreno — a 76-year-old mystic who has kept New York's Caravan of Dreams alive for 35 years with faith and a beautiful vision.