Agroecology Uprooted

Episode 5: System Change 09.06.2026 33dk

How do we transform food systems to make agroecological transitions possible on a large scale? In the final episode of Agroecology Uprooted, hear from Sophia Murphy, Ernesto Mendez, and Raj Patel on some of the policy changes that can help agroecology thrive, and what it takes to make them happen. Agroecology Uprooted is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and share the show with a friend. IATP works at the intersection of policy and practice to advance just, sustainable food systems. You can support our work at iatp.org/donate.

Episode 4: Food and Power 27.05.2026 36dk

Food is about more than just the calories we need to survive. The expansion of corporate-controlled industrial agriculture has meant the loss of traditional knowledge, diverse genetic resources, and communities’ power to control their own food systems. In Episode Four of Agroecology Uprooted, hear from Ernesto Méndez, Sagari Ramdas, and Leticia López about why food sovereignty is central to agroecology, and how farmers and peasants around the world are working to rebuild power together. Photos, guest bios, and episode transcript on our website at https://www.iatp.org/agroecology-uprooted-episode-four. Agroecology Uprooted is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and share the show with a friend. IATP works at the intersection of policy and practice to advance just, sustainable food systems. You can support our work at iatp.org/donate.

Episode 3: Life on Earth 12.05.2026 35dk

Food systems and biodiversity are deeply intertwined. Agroecology is grounded in biodiversity, taking advantage of ecological processes and relationships to improve farm resilience and productivity. But the dominant industrial agriculture system works against biodiversity in ways that are harming human health, driving mass extinction, and threatening all of life on earth. In episode three of Agroecology Uprooted, hear from Dr. Claire Kremen, Courtney Tchida, and Dr. Jonathan Lundgren on what's at stake under the industrial system, and how restoring biodiversity can have surprising benefits on the farm and beyond. Photos, guest bios, and episode transcript on our website at https://www.iatp.org/agroecology-uprooted-episode-three. Agroecology Uprooted is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and share the show with a friend. IATP works at the intersection of policy and practice to advance just, sustainable food systems. You can support our work at iatp.org/donate.

Episode 2: Growing Resilience 28.04.2026 30dk

Around the world, farmers adopting agroecological practices are rebuilding their soil, growing an abundance of food, and decreasing their reliance on external inputs. As war and political turmoil disrupt fertilizer and fuel supplies globally, agroecology is a way to build resilience in a destabilized world. In episode two of Agroecology Uprooted, hear from Raj Patel on how the war in Iran is impacting global food systems, Sam Nderitu on teaching agroecology to smallholder farmers at the Grow Biointensive Agriculture Center of Kenya, and Jonathan Lundgren on connecting with farmers across America to research the real outcomes of agroecology and regenerative agriculture. Photos, guest bios, and episode transcript on our website at https://www.iatp.org/agroecology-uprooted-episode-two. Agroecology Uprooted is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and share the show with a friend. IATP works at the intersection of policy and practice to advance just, sustainable food systems. You can support our work at iatp.org/donate.

Episode 1: System Failure 14.04.2026 27dk

As the war in Iran squeezes fertilizer and fuel supplies, there is renewed attention on the vulnerability of global food systems. But the roots of this current crisis go much deeper. In episode one of Agroecology Uprooted, we begin with a look at the systems that shape how we produce and access food, the ways that the industrial food system is pushing our planet beyond its natural boundaries, and the potential for a radically sustainable approach to food and agriculture: Agroecology. This episode features interviews with Dr. Bonnie Keeler of the University of Minnesota and Pat Mooney, founder of ETC Group. Agroecology Uprooted is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. IATP works at the intersection of policy and practice to advance just, sustainable food systems. You can support our work at iatp.org/donate.

Introducing: Agroecology Uprooted 30.03.2026 3dk

New podcast miniseries coming soon from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy: Agroecology Uprooted.

How to Fight a Factory Farm Episode 4: Cleaning up the CAFO Mess 23.10.2024 28dk

The rise of factory farms in the U.S. didn't happen by accident. Corporate influence over our political system has created policies that subsidize and incentivize the industrial model and allow factory farms to pollute with impunity, even creating new revenue streams that greenwash their climate impacts. Our food system does not have to be this way. Members of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment are working to build sustainable alternatives to factory farms while advocating for policy reforms to dismantle the CAFO system and level the playing field for independent family farmers. In the final episode of the series, hear from Frank James of Dakota Rural Action, Rebecca Wolf of Food and Water Watch, Bonnie Haugen of Land Stewardship Project and Noah Earle of Missouri Rural Crisis Center on how we got into this mess, and how to get out of it. How to Fight a Factory Farm is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. Thank you to our intern, Anna Karns, for her assistance producing this series, and to Noah Earle for the use of his song “Fry an Egg” for our theme music. Learn more about the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment at fightfactoryfarms.org. References, further reading and ways to get involved Support the Farm System Reform Act Packers and Stockyards Act In-Depth, Bryce Oates, 2024 Why we need an Agricultural Market Volatility Relief Program, CFFE, 2023 Biogas or Bull****? Friends of the Earth & Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, 2024

How to Fight a Factory Farm Episode 3: Communities Fight Back 16.10.2024 28dk

Despite the well-documented harms to the environment and rural economies, the CAFO system continues to expand. But its growth is not inevitable. In South Dakota, Iowa and all across factory farm country, everyday people are stepping up and organizing their neighbors to prevent factory farms from being built in their communities. How to fight a factory farm? People power. In this episode, hear from Vanessa Namken and Frank James of Dakota Rural Action and Barb Kalbach and Hugh Espey of Iowa CCI on how they successfully stopped CAFOs from being built near their homes. How to Fight a Factory Farm is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. Thank you to our intern, Anna Karns, for her assistance producing this series, and to Noah Earle for the use of his song “Fry an Egg” for our theme music. Learn more about the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment at fightfactoryfarms.org. References and further reading "13 Groups Sued EPA Demanding Stricter CAFO Regulation — the Court Struck Them Down." Sentient Media, October 2024. Pounds of manure produced by dairy cows: University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine "A mega-dairy is transforming Arizona’s aquifer and farming lifestyles." High Country News, August 2021

How to Fight a Factory Farm Episode 2: The Price We Pay 09.10.2024 29dk

What does it mean to get big or get out? As CAFOs began to take over livestock production in the U.S. through the 1990s, the consequences of this corporate-controlled, vertically-integrated system rippled throughout rural economies, putting smaller independent farmers and their suppliers out of business, and trapping others in debt and dependence on exploitative meat companies. In this episode, hear from Missouri Rural Crisis Center’s Rhonda Perry and Tim Gibbons and Iowa CCI’s Barb Kalbach and Hugh Espey on the price we pay for factory farms. How to Fight a Factory Farm is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. Thank you to our intern, Anna Karns, for her assistance producing this series, and to Noah Earle for the use of his song “Fry an Egg” for our theme music. Learn more about the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment at fightfactoryfarms.org.

How to Fight a Factory Farm Episode 1: Raising a Stink 02.10.2024 23dk

What is a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), and what does it mean that nearly all farm animals in the U.S. are now raised in them? Factory farms are a major change from how livestock was traditionally raised, and the billions of gallons of manure produced by these facilities are causing major problems for neighbors, the environment and anyone downstream. Independent family farmers and rural communities are facing the brunt of these consequences, but they're not going to take it lying down. In this episode, hear from Rebecca Wolf, Senior Food Policy Analyst at Food and Water Watch, along with Iowa CCI's Barb Kalbach and Dakota Rural Action's Kathy Tyler on the pollution crisis created by factory farms, and what it means for those living nearby. References and further reading The CAFO Next Door, REAMP Network, June 2024 Factory Farm Nation: 2024 Edition, Food and Water Watch Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry, Austin Frerick, 2024 US Factory Farming Estimates, Sentience Institute, 2019 Environmental Regulation of Hog Feeding Operations, Chen, C.-T. and G. Lade, Iowa State University, 2018 Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs), EPA, 2024 How to Fight a Factory Farm is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. Thank you to our intern, Anna Karns, for her assistance producing this series, and to Noah Earle for the use of his song “Fry an Egg” for our theme music. Learn more about the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment at fightfactoryfarms.org.

Introducing: How to Fight a Factory Farm 18.09.2024 5dk

Coming October 2 from the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, a new four-part podcast series about factory farms, and the farmers and rural organizers fighting to end them: How to Fight a Factory Farm. How to Fight a Factory Farm is produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a member of the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment. Thank you to our intern, Anna Karns, for her assistance producing this series, and to Noah Earle for the use of his song “Fry an Egg” for our theme music. Learn more about the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment at fightfactoryfarms.org.

The Farm Bill Uprooted Update: What's going on with the Farm Bill? 04.06.2024 18dk

Eight months after the original deadline, there’s been some movement on the new Farm Bill – but political conflicts and agribusiness influence present a challenge. Learn about how the policy process works and hear from IATP’s Michael Happ and Ben Lilliston about the House Farm Bill draft and what comes next.

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 6: Solutions 20.09.2023 25dk

In Episode Six of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from experts from across the food system on what changes are needed in the 2023 Farm Bill and beyond. From nutrition access to fair markets to climate resilience, a better food system is possible; it’s up to us to demand it. References and Further Reading: Closing the Meal Gap Act Improving Access to Nutrition Act Enhanced Access to SNAP Act Hot Foods Act Meat Packing Special Investigator Act Farm System Reform Act Fairness for Small Farmers Act EQIP Improvement Act Agriculture Resilience Act RAFI-USA Marker Bill Tracker Why we need an Agricultural Market Volatility Relief Program

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 5: Insecure 06.09.2023 28dk

The Farm Bill shapes our food and farm system in the U.S., and, through the Nutrition Title, helps millions of Americans afford food. But with nutrition assistance programs like SNAP vulnerable to cuts, and rural food access weakened by decades of corporate consolidation, how well is the Farm Bill really serving eaters? In Episode Five of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from IATP's Erin McKee VanSlooten, Kate Hansen of the Center for Rural Affairs and Marcus Grignon of the Rural Coalition, on what's needed to rebuild community-based food systems and create a Farm Bill that's by and for the people. References and Further Reading: Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Farm Bill priorities Food Price Outlook, 2023 and 2024, (2023) USDA Economic Research Center A Short History of SNAP, USDA A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits, (2023) Center on Budget & Policy Priorities Minnesota Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Evaluation, (2023) IATP & UMN

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 4: Consolidated 23.08.2023 25dk

Over the past few decades, the landscape of the food and farm system has become more concentrated, less diverse and less resilient. In Episode Four of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment’s (CFFE) Patty Lovera and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light’s (IIPL) Elston Tortuga about how corporate consolidation in the food system has impacted farmers and rural communities, and how Farm Bill reforms can help.

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 3: Discredited 09.08.2023 28dk

How does credit access shape our food and agriculture system? In Episode Three of the Farm Bill Uprooted, hear from IATP’s Dr. Steve Suppan, along with Margaret Krome-Lukens and Ray Jeffers of RAFI-USA, about how the Farm Bill Credit Title both undermines climate resilience by propping up the industrial model of production and reinforces a history of racism in American agriculture. Learn more about RAFI-USA, NFFC and the Fair Credit for Farmers Act.

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 2: Polluted 26.07.2023 27dk

After decades of Farm Bill policy incentivizing the overproduction of commodity crops, conventional agriculture in the U.S. has taken an increasing toll on water, soil and the climate — and on farmers’ own ability to withstand extreme weather and climate disruptions. Episode Two of the Farm Bill Uprooted features IATP’s Michael Happ and the University of Iowa’s Dr. Silvia Secchi on industrial agriculture’s environmental impacts and the Conservation Title programs meant to address them.

The Farm Bill Uprooted Episode 1: Overgrown 12.07.2023 27dk

How do we ensure fair prices for farmers and consumers while building climate resilience, protecting the environment and sustaining rural communities? And what happens when Farm Bill policies incentivize the opposite approach? Hear from IATP’s Ben Lilliston and Karen Hansen-Kuhn in Episode One of the Farm Bill Uprooted, which dives into Farm Bill basics, and how it’s shaped a food and farm system dominated by commodity production and overgrown corporate agribusiness interests. References and further reading: USDA ERS, Food Access Research Atlas USDA ERS, Key Statistics and Graphics About half of US water 'too polluted' for drinking, swimming or fishing, report finds. The Hill. Shirin Ali, 2022. Food fight: The Citizen’s Guide to the Next Food and Farm Bill. Daniel Imhoff, 2012. The new deal’s impacts on sharecropping and tenant farming in the US South: a history Michael Sligh, 2021. Crisis by Design: A Brief Review of U.S. Farm Policy. Mark Richie & Kevin Ristau, 1987.

Introducing: The Farm Bill Uprooted 28.06.2023 6dk

The Farm Bill sets the course for our food and agriculture system in the U.S. – and right now, there's a lot that's not working. How did we get here? And how can we fix it? Coming soon from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a new 6-part podcast series: The Farm Bill Uprooted. Episode One premieres July 12. Featuring: Dr. Silvia Secchi, University of Iowa Lilly Richard, IATP Michael Happ, IATP Kate Hansen, Center for Rural Affairs Dr. Steve Suppan, IATP Karen Hansen-Kuhn, IATP Margaret Krome-Lukens, RAFI-USA Ray Jeffers, RAFI-USA Erin McKee-VanSlooten, IATP Ben Lilliston, IATP Marcus Grignon, Rural Coalition Elston Tortuga, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light

Talking COP27 Episode 4: The fight for real climate action continues 08.12.2022 22dk

After an extended negotiation, COP27 concluded on November 20th, 2022 with, for the most part, a disappointing outcome. Despite the hopeful decision to create a dedicated Loss and Damage fund for countries most impacted by climate disasters, COP27's final agreement fell short of what we need to keep the planet under 1.5 C degrees of warming. In our final episode of the series, we discuss how the conference played out, and what's next in the fight for real climate action. Find more information and an episode transcript on our website.