Paul Willis, farmer and founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company, joins host Jenna Liut in the studio to talk about how he got his start, the impact of the Purdue acquisition, and two of the most urgent agricultural policy fixes he would like to see happen now.

Episode 149: Meet Niman Ranch's Paul Willis

Food has emerged as a critical policy area – and it raises big questions about health, labor, sustainability and our collective future.  Join host Jenna Liut for conversations with food policy experts and leaders about the issues that shape our everyday experiences of buying, cooking and eating food.

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We hear about greenhouse gas emissions and their consequences all the time, but who’s measuring those emissions? How can countries use that data to develop more sustainable methods for producing and distributing food? Francesco Tubiello, a senior statistician and climate change specialist with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, joins host Jenna Liut to speak about his most recent report and the role of his findings in pinpointing the most energy-intensive nodes of our global food system.

The Facts: Food & GHG Emissions

How does nutrition impact your ability to conceive? What are key nutrients and vitamins and their recommended food sources for boosting both women AND men’s fertility? Are there multigenerational health effects of our dietary and lifestyle choices? Dr. Nicole Avena, research neuroscientist, nutrition expert and author of the newly released book, “What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant” joins host Jenna Liut to discuss these questions and more!

Food & Fertility

Host Jenna Liut is joined by Leah Garcés, President of Mercy for Animals (MFA), an organization working to construct a compassionate food system and end commercial animal agriculture.  They discuss MFA’s undercover investigation into the horrific conditions of Costco’s chicken farm as profiled in New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s recent exposé, the concept of sentience, and what differentiates their work from other animal welfare organizations.

Mercy for Animals

Host Jenna Liut welcomes the award-winning investigative journalist, Carey Gillam, back to show to discuss her new book, The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice.  A follow up to Gillam’s first book, Whitewash – an explosive expose on Monsanto and the health risks of its best-selling herbicide, Roundup – her new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark lawsuit against Monsanto and its implications for tens of thousands of plaintiffs worldwide.  Informed by Gillam’s unfettered access to the legal team behind this historic lawsuit and over 80,000 pages of documents, The Monsanto Papers details the astounding extent to which the company went hide the deadly dangers of its products and corporate misdeeds – and the devastating human toll that it took.

The Monsanto Papers

We know that U.S. industrial agriculture has had monumental effects on our climate, but how has climate change reciprocally impacted our agricultural system? And, an even more pressing question, how close is our agricultural system to total collapse? In his new book, “Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It,” Tom Philpott looks for answers in the nation’s primary farming hubs: California’s Central Valley and the Corn Belt of the Midwest, both of which are in a state of accelerating ecological decline.  Host Jenna Liut sits down with Tom to talk about California water barons, toxic petrochemical stews, and why we should make almonds a special occasion snack.

Episode 149: Meet Niman Ranch's Paul Willis

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