Real Organic Podcast

#178:  Mwatima Juma joins Dave to discuss the powerful influence chemical companies have over African farming practices and the way agricultural policies are shaped across the continent. As support for transitioning acreage to organic grows in Europe and India, multinationals see Africa as a must-win market for selling their amendments. 

Dr. Mwatima Juma is a rural development specialist based in Zanzibar and the chairperson of the Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement. She earned her  PhD in Agronomy and Crop Science from University of London Wye College. 

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/mwatima-juma-chemical-companies-african-agriculture-episode-one-hundred-seventy-eight

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#177:  Twin brothers Ron and Arnie Koss talk about their experience founding Earth's Best Baby Foods in 1985 with the hopes of impacting real, positive change in the marketplace by inspiring Big Food to also meet the growing demand for organic baby food. They also pose lots of questions about the Real Organic Project to their Vermont peer and ROP co-director Dave Chapman, who was present throughout much of their Earth's Best journey.

In 1985, Ron and Arnie Koss founded Earth's Best Baby Foods, the first organic baby food widely available in grocery stores across the US. They are also the co-authors of "The Earth's Best Story: A Bittersweet Tale Of Twin Brothers Who Sparked An Organic Revolution." Today Ron is a founding member of Global Health Media and Arnie is active in food systems work.

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/arnie-ron-koss-changing-organic-from-inside-episode-one-hundred-seventy-seven

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#176:  Food systems consultant and former team leader for the Naturland Fair & Social Responsibility program Nora Taleb visits Real Organic Project co-director Linley Dixon at her farm in Durango, Colorado for a conversation about the role of organic agriculture, farmers, and corporate actors across the globe.

Nora Taleb is a food systems consultant focusing on regenerative organic agriculture and sustainable systems. She joining Naturland Association for Organic Agriculture in 2015, to manage the team Naturland Fair with its full-supply-chain certification program combining organic standards that go beyond the NOP/EU regulation, animal welfare and social fairness under one label. Naturland has developed organic and fair trade standards since 1982 and is today with around 65.000 farmers one of the largest organic associations, 100% owned by farmers. Nora Together with US partners, she works on organic integrity and farmer advocacy in North America.

https://realorganicproject.org/team/nora-taleb/

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/nora-taleb-global-players-rule-our-food-system-episode-one-hundred-seventy-six

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#175:  Researcher and author Tim Wise shares his deep knowledge of the Green Revolution and its misleading claims to solve world hunger through chemical agriculture and government policy. While most of us think of the Green Revolution as movement from the past, Tim raises awareness that it is very much alive today across the globe, most notably in Africa.

Tim Wise is a writer, researcher and speaker, and the author of Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Battle for the Future of Food. He is a Senior Advisor with the Small Planet Institute and a Senior Research Fellow at Tufts University’s Global Development and Environment Institute.  He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

https://www.timothyawise.com/

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/tim-wise-todays-green-revolution-africa-iowa-episode-one-hundred-seventy-five

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#174:  Republic of Tea co-founder and UC Berkeley Haas Center for Responsible Business co-chair Will Rosenzweig joins Dave to discuss his early efforts to impact change on the food system from the inside out, through entrepreneurship, as well as his thoughts on how to acheive postive impact in today's world through education.

Will Rosenzweig is a well-known entrepreneur, having co-founded the Republic of Tea in the early 90s. He is co-author of The Republic of Tea: How an Idea Becomes a Business, (Doubleday 1994) which was named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time, and the recipient of the Oslo Business for Peace Award. Will has been part of the UC Berkeley faculty since 1999 and currently leads Plant Futures, a course about the urgent future of plant-centered eating.

https://haas.berkeley.edu/faculty/rosenzweig-william/

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/will-rosenzweig-crafting-positive-impact-food-system-episode-one-hundred-seventy-four

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#173:  Real Organic Project certified rancher Glenn Elzinga talks about the grazing plan he and his wife Carolyn devised to mimic the movement of animals that were once a key part of healthy ecosystems. Their method of "in herding" has transformed his own land, as well as the public land he leases in Idaho, bringing back a diversity of species and allowing for the repair of riparian areas. Glenn also speaks to the notable nutritional differneces between his beef and the typical feedlot beef that is mostly found throughout the US marketplace.

Glenn Elzinga owns and operates Alderspring Ranch, along with his wife Carolyn and their seven daughters. In addtion to the ranch land they own in Idaho, they lease thousands of acres from the government, moving their cattle daily as they graze a diverse mix of nutritious plants. The family and their crew ride alongside the herd on horseback and sleep outside near them at night. Alderspring Ranch is certified with the Real Organic Project.

https://www.alderspring.com/ 

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/glenn-elzinga-good-grazing-public-land-episode-one-hundred-seventy-three

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#172:  California green banker and philanthropist Kat Taylor joins us again to shed light on how banking and finance influence the consolidation seen in food and agriculture.

Kat Taylor is a positive-impact investor who has started both a community bank and an organic cattle ranch to influence the social and environmental injustices she sees in her home state of California.

https://www.kattaylor.com/

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/kat-taylor-funding-world-we-want-episode-one-hundred-seventy-two

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#171:  Hans Herren shares the story of using biological controls to save Africa's cassava crop from a disastrous, continent-wide Mealy Bug infestation. While he was awarded the World Food Prize for his efforts and recognized for the incredible number of lives that work saved, non-chemical biocontrols are still nowhere near a popular approach in the pro-chemical agricultural landscapes that dominate our globe.  

Hans Herren has served as the President and CEO of the Millennium Institute, an organization dedicated to systems dynamic modeling and the support of sustainable development policies, since 2005. In 1995, he won the World Food Prize for successfully managing against  the Cassava Mealybug in Africa and and averting a major food crisis that could have claimed an estimated 20 million lives.

https://www.millennium-institute.org/

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/hans-herren-controlling-pests-with-biology-episode-one-hundred-seventy-one


The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#170:  Alice Waters' focus on educating young minds about where real food comes from, how to identify and prepare it, and how food relates to all facets of our lives and cultures has inspired many. She shared her latest plans and emotional motivations with Dave in California in January of 2024, as part of a broader conversation about the organic movement.

Alice Waters is the founder and owner of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, known throughout the world for its dedication to local and organic foods and seen by many as the first restaurant to offer what’s become known as California Cuisine. She is a  huge advocate of improving school lunches in the US and is the creator of Edible Schoolyard, a curriculum that brings gardens and kitchens into public education. Alice is a Real Organic Project Advisory Board member.

To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/alice-waters-organic-food-in-our-schools-now-episode-one-hundred-seventy


The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!

https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#169: Barbara Gemmill-Herren shares her views on listening to farmers first and foremost as policies and support systems are developed, the need to pay attention to the social workings of agricultural communities, and the immense pressure applied to African farmers by global chemical companies to purchase amendments.

Barbara Gemmill-Herren serves as an associate faculty member at Arizona's Prescott College and as a Senior Associate at the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. From 2004-2015 she worked as a Global Pollination Project Coordinator and Agroecology Programme Specialist for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/barbara-gemmill-herren-big-chems-eyes-on-africa-episode-one-hundred-sixty-nine

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/

To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/