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Season 5 Episode 3 – "Only as good as the organizing that accompanies it": Filmmaking as Food System Solidarity, a Conversation with Raj Patel  Featuring: Raj Patel   In this special episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we sit down with renowned author, activist, and filmmaker Raj Patel for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about food justice, climate change, and solidarity across difference. The discussion takes listeners behind the scenes of his decade-long documentary project The Ants and the Grasshopper, co-directed with Zak Piper and centered on the powerful leadership of Malawian farmer and activist Anita Chitaya, and the work of Soils, Food, & Healthy Communities.   This episode explores how farmer-led agroecology, gender justice, and climate action are deeply intertwined. Raj reflects on the challenges and lessons of creating a truly participatory and decolonizing filmmaking process, one that ultimately shifted creative control toward Anita herself demonstrating a more ethical approach to telling stories from the Global South. The conversation dives into key themes raised by the film: the gendered burdens of food and care work, the links between climate change and domestic violence, and the role of religion, race, and class in shaping food systems politics.   Listeners also hear about the film's impact beyond the screen, from grassroots screenings in churches and social movements to its use as a tool for organizing. Throughout the episode, Raj emphasizes that real change comes not from individual actions or pity, but from collective organizing, movement-building, and an ethic of mutual liberation.    Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young & Dr. Charlie Spring   Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young    Guests  Raj Patel    Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs     Music Credits  Keenan Reimer-Watts    Resources Soils, Food & Healthy Communities (please support if you can) The Ants & the Grasshopper Film Website Film Trailer Where to Watch Apple TV Kanopy Hoopla Organizations/Projects La Via Campesina (international food sovereignty movement) MST (Brazil's Landless Workers Movement) International Shack Dwellers Movement National Family Farm Coalition National Farmers Union National Black Food & Justice Alliance Voicing Change Further Reading Patel, R., & Goodman, J. (2020). The Long New Deal. Journal of Peasant Studies, 47(3), 431–463.  Lentz, E., Beznwe Kerr, R., Patel, R., Dakishoni, L., & Lupafya, E. (2018). The invisible hand that rocks the cradle: On the limits of time use surveys. Development and Change, 50, 301-328.   Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn Instagram Facebook   Glossary of Terms   Agroecology  A way of farming that combines ecological science with farmer knowledge, emphasizing sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice.  Climate Justice  The idea that climate change is not just environmental, but social and political, with the greatest harms often falling on those least responsible.  Decolonizing Storytelling / Filmmaking  Practices that shift power over narratives toward the communities represented, challenging extractive or colonial approaches to media.  Food Justice  An approach to food systems that focuses on equity, who has access to good food, who produces it, and how power shapes those realities.  Food Sovereignty   The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance.  https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/  Global North / Global South  Terms describing global inequalities rooted in colonialism, where wealth and power are unevenly distributed.  La Vía Campesina  A global movement of peasants and farmers advocating for food sovereignty and agrarian justice.   https://viacampesina.org/en/international-peasants-voice/ Mutual Liberation  The principle that justice and freedom are interconnected. No group can be free while others are oppressed.   Patriarchy  Social systems in which power is largely held by men, shaping inequalities in labor, decision-making, and control over resources.  Reproductive Labor (Care Work)  Often unpaid or undervalued work (cooking, caregiving, and subsistence farming) that sustains households and communities.  Solidarity  Collective action rooted in shared struggle and mutual responsibility, not charity or pity.    Discussion Questions How does the film challenge conventional representations and documentaries of hunger and food insecurity, especially in the Global South?  "You can't tackle hunger without tackling gender inequality". How does the Ants and the Grasshopper convey different threads of Anita's story (e.g. her marriage, her journey to America) to reveal connections between patriarchy, food systems, and racial capitalism (a framework asserting that capitalism is inherently dependent on racism)?   How does Anita organize effectively for change across the huge geographical and wealth gaps evident in the film? For example, what is the role of religion? How can discomfort and difference be leveraged as potent nodes for conversation and change?  What does it mean to be an activist for just food systems, for a liveable planet? What is the role for feelings of pity or even empathy, and how can we move beyond this towards solidarity or 'mutual liberation'? What is the role for social movements? And what does Raj mean by saying 'to be an activist is to liberate yourself'?

Season 5 Episode 2 - "Taking power into their own hands ": Women Leading Food Systems Change in Canada's North, Ecuador, and Uganda  Featuring: Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Dr. Andrea Brown, and Carla Johnston  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we take listeners behind the scenes of a special International Women's Day panel hosted by the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. This event brought together women scholars and practitioners working across diverse food systems in Ecuador, Canada's Northwest Territories, and Uganda.  Featuring insights from Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Carla Johnston, Dr. Andrea Brown, and your co-host, Dr. Laine Young, the episode explores how gender justice in food systems is deeply interconnected with migration, Indigenous governance, urbanization, power, and lived experience. Through case studies on urban agriculture in Quito, Indigenous food governance and agroecology in Canada's North with the Sambaa K'e First Nation and Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, the Committee on World Food Security for the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women and girls empowerment, and migrant food insecurity in Kampala, the speakers reflect on feminist and intersectional research, positionality, and the importance of community-based knowledge.  Together, they ask timely questions about who produces knowledge, whose voices are prioritized in research and policy, and how women and gender-diverse people are shaping more just and resilient food systems locally and globally.  Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young & Dr. Charlie Spring   Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young    Guests  Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer  Dr. Andrea Brown  Carla Johnston    Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs     Music Credits  Keenan Reimer-Watts    Resources    Price, M.J., Latta, A., Temmer, J., Johnston, C., Chiot, L., Jumbo, J., Scott, K., & Spring, A. (2022) "Agroecology in the North: centering Indigenous food sovereignty and land stewardship in agriculture 'frontiers'". Agriculture and Human Values.  Johnston, C. & Spring, A. (2021) "Grassroots and Global Governance: can global-local linkages foster food systems resilience for small northern Canadian communities?" Sustainability. 13(2415).    Brown, A.M. (2024). Refugee Protection and Food Secuirity in Kampala, Uganda. Migration & Food Security (MiFOOD) Paper No. 18.   Brown, A.M. (2022). Co-productive urban planning: Protecting and expanding food security in Uganda's secondary cities. In Liam Riley and Jonathan Crush (eds). Transforming Urban Food Systems in Secondary Cities in Africa. Palgrave  Young, L. N. (2025). Operationalizing intersectionality analysis for urban agriculture in Quito, Ecuador. Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2762.   Rodríguez, A., Jácome-Polit, D., Santandreu, A., Paredes, D., & Álvaro, N. P. (2022). Agroecological urban agriculture and food resilience: The Case of Quito, Ecuador. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6.   Theory of Water: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land    Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast  Facebook: Handpicked Podcast     Glossary of Terms  Feminist Research   Research that centers gendered power relations, values lived experience and seeks social justice and equity.  Food Security  Having reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and preferences.  https://www.wfp.org/stories/food-security-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters  Food Sovereignty   The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance.  https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/  Gender-Diverse   Encompassing identities beyond the binary categories of woman and man.  Global Food Governance  International institutions, policies, and processes that shape food systems and food security worldwide.  Indigenous Governance  Decision-making systems rooted in Indigenous laws, knowledge, and self-determination.  Intersectionality   A framework that examines how overlapping identities (such as gender, race, class, Indigeneity, and migration status) interact with systems and structures of power to shape lived experiences.  Positionality  The recognition of how a researcher's identity, background, and social location influence the research process.  Reflexivity  Ongoing critical self-reflection by researchers about their role, assumptions, and impact.    Discussion Questions  In what ways do women act as knowledge holders, leaders, and connectors within food systems across different contexts? How do global governance frameworks (like the UN Committee on World Food Security) both support and limit gender justice and Indigenous rights?  What similarities emerge across the case studies in Quito, the Northwest Territories, and Kampala despite their very different contexts? How do positionality and reflexivity shape the ethics and outcomes of research conducted across cultures and geographies? What does an intersectional feminist approach reveal about food systems that gender-neutral or technical approaches often miss?    Bringing Intersectionality into Research Practice: Questions to Ask Yourself as a Researcher    Where does knowledge come from and what am I counting as knowledge?   Who's bringing this knowledge forward?   How do the power relations present impact my results? How?   Why do I need to think about scale?   Am I using reflexivity in this research?   How has history impacted where we are?   Am I applying social justice principles?   Am I promoting and/or furthering equity in the research that I'm doing?  How does resilience and resistance impact the work that's being done?

Season 5, Episode 1 - "Food as Fertile Ground for Change" Cultivating Community: Food Justice in the Bow Valley and Beyond Featuring: Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz, Avni Soma, Syma Habib, Jun Cacayuran, Melissa West Morrison, & Dr. Tatenda Mambo  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, our conversation comes from the Bow Valley in Alberta, where a group of organizers, researchers, and community leaders gathered in 2024 to talk about food justice and the everyday work of reshaping food systems. In this episode, Charlie Spring sits down with the event's co-organizers, Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz and Avni Soma, to look back on what unfolded at their "Cultivating Community" gathering.  The episode brings together stories about community-led food aid, Indigenous food relationships, regenerative agriculture, migrant community organizing, and the emotional power of food to connect and transform. Alongside Lauren and Avni's reflections, listeners hear short excerpts from the event's panellists, Syma Habib, Jun Cacayuran, Melissa West Morrison, and Dr. Tatenda Mambo, whose perspectives and insights bring important nuance to the conversation.  Rather than framing food systems as problems to "fix," the episode leans into questions of relationship, responsibility, and the slow, often messy work of imagining something better together. It's a thoughtful, grounded start to the season, and an invitation to consider what food justice looks like in our own communities.    Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young & Dr. Charlie Spring   Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young    Guests  Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz  Avni Soma  Syma Habib  Jun Cacayuran  Melissa West Morrison  Dr. Tatenda Mambo    Support & Funding  SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (Lauren Kepkiewicz, Marit Rosol, Elizabeth Vibert, Eric Holt-Gimenez, and Charlie Spring)  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs     Music Credits  Keenan Reimer-Watts    Resources    Filipino Organization in the Rocky Mountains (FORM)  Kepkiewicz, L. & Cacayuran, J. (2022). Bringing ayuda and bayanihan to the Rockies. Mountain Life, Rocky Mountain, pp. 30.  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land    Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4: Episode 6 – Handpicked Presents Voicing Change - Team Reflections on Podcasting for Social Change    Featuring:   In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present the last of this season featuring the Voicing Change podcast, in an episode called 'Team Reflections on Podcasting for Social Change' in which the whole Voicing Change team got together (virtually!) to reflect on some of the lessons learned in the process of co-developing a methodology for transnational and interdisciplinary podcasting. Responding to the question "What does 'voicing change' mean to you in the context of being part of this academic Community of Practice?", team members from Canada, Kenya and Brazil discuss a number of emerging lessons, including how we co-construct meaning, the conditions necessary to elicit- and truly hear- others' voices, and thoughts on the opportunities- and challenges- of the podcast format as a way for academics to really value the voices and experiences of our interlocutors. Voicing change, it seems, is change itself.    Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam     Guests  Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Olga Millicent Awuor, Eve Nimmo, Brenda Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Renata Kempf, and Andrew Spring.     Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)    Music Credits  Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts  Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  CedErva  Rongo University     Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4, Episode 5– Handpicked Presents: Voicing Change – "Agroecology in Kenya"  Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Olga Awuor, Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Featuring: Clark Siaji, Caleb Omolo, Andres Kathunzi  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Voicing Change Podcast called, 'Agroecology in Kenya'. Voicing Change team member and radio journalist Olga Millicent Awuor interviews two community leaders in agroecological and permacultural food production in the Migori County area. They consider alternative modes of farming as pathways to greater food sovereignty, especially for marginalized groups including women and youth. How can movements and practices for agroecology support decent livelihoods while restoring ecological diversity and resilience, and what are the barriers to change in Kenya, where agrifood policy tends to encourage monocultural production for export?  Voicing Change Team: Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Evelyn Nimmo, Renata Kempf, Brenda Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Murilo Siqueira, Andrew Spring    Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam  Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)  Music Credits Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts  Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Rongo University  CedErva  Rongo University  Agroecology at the FAO  Growing Small featuring Caleb's forest garden (YouTube)  Wachna Greenworld CBO (Facebook)  Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4: Episode 3 – Handpicked Presents: Voicing Change – "Agroecology in Canada and Brazil"   Featuring: Dr Andrew Spring, Dr Eve Nimmo, Dr Erin Nelson  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Voicing Change Podcast called, 'Agroecology in Canada and Brazil' in which we hear from three researchers investigating what agroecology means and looks like on the ground. Dr Erin Nelson describes her own discovery of agroecology in Cuba and Ontario and how she realized that it's about more than just a set of techniques but also about a change of mindset in how we use land and resources. Additionally, it calls for knowledge co-creation between the experiential knowledge of food producers and researchers- and using this knowledge to nourish social movements that can transform agrifood policy and practices. Dr Eve Nimmo describes the Indigenous knowledge roots of agroecology in Latin America and describes agroecology as a way to work with farmers growing food in traditional ways in Brazilian forests. Dr Andrew Spring links this to Indigenous stewardship in northern Canada. But does it produce enough food?  Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Voicing Change Team: Olga Awuor, Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Evelyn Nimmo, Renata Kempf, Brena Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Murilo Siqueira, Andrew Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam  Guests Dr Erin Nelson Dr Eve Nimmo Dr Andrew Spring   Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)  Music Credits  Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts  Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  CedErva  Rongo University Agroecology at the FAO National Association of Small Farmers (Cuba) Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario    Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4: Episode 3 – Handpicked Presents: Voicing Change - "Forests, Food, and People- Part 2"  Featuring:  Dr. Eve Nimmo, Dr. Jennifer Baltzer, Dr. Zach Ngalo, and Dr. Andre Lacerda  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Voicing Change Podcast called, "Forests, Food, and People – Part 2". This is the second of a two part episode where Voicing Change team member Eve Nimmo interviews three forest researchers in Southern Brazil, Migori County, Kenya, and Northern Canada about relationships between forests, food and people. In this episode we hear about threats facing forests and forest communities- and how those communities and their allies are fighting back.     Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Voicing Change Team: Olga Awuor, Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Evelyn Nimmo, Renata Kempf, Brena Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Murilo Siqueira, Andrew Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam     Guests  Dr. Eve Nimmo Dr. Jennifer Baltzer Dr. Zach Ngalo Dr. Andre Lacerda    Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)    Music Credits  Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts     Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  CedErva  Rongo University  Embrapa      Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4: Episode 2 – Handpicked Presents: Voicing Change - "Forests, Food, and People- Part 1"  Featuring: Dr. Eve Nimmo, Dr. Jennifer Baltzer, Dr. Zach Ngalo, and  Dr. Andre Lacerda  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Voicing Change Podcast called, "Forests, Food, and People – Part 1". This is the first of a two part episode where our guests will tell us about relationships between forests, food and people in different places. You'll hear about the different types of forests that our guests work in, how people use these forests, and how the forests are managed. Voicing Change team member Eve Nimmo interviews three forest researchers in Southern Brazil, Migori County, Kenya, and Northern Canada.  Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Voicing Change Team: Olga Awuor, Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Evelyn Nimmo, Renata Kempf, Brena Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Murilo Siqueira, Andrew Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam  Guests  Dr. Eve Nimmo Dr. Jennifer Baltzer Dr. Zach Ngalo Dr. Andre Lacerda  Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)  Music Credits  Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts    Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  CedErva  Embrapa  Rongo University  Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Season 4: Episode 1 – Handpicked Presents: Voicing Change - "Introducing Voicing Change"  Featuring: Dr. Andrew Spring, Dr. Eve Nimmo, Enock Mac'Ouma  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Voicing Change Podcast called, "Introducing Voicing Change." This episode introduces the project, "Voicing Change: Co-Creating Knowledge and Capacity for Sustainable Food Systems." The project connects community partners, researchers, and students from three regions—Northwest Territories; Migori County, Kenya; and Southern Brazil—to create a Community of Practice exploring local, innovative, and sustainable food systems that centre traditional and Indigenous knowledges.     The project aims to:   -celebrate local food expertise and traditional knowledge that contribute to traditional, equitable, and culturally appropriate community food systems   -amplify the voices of community members and knowledge holders as they share their technical expertise   -spark food systems innovations that flow through the Community of Practice and are adapted and piloted in other areas   The project's goal is to build a healthier, more equitable, and socio-ecologically resilient future that is grounded in sustainable local food systems and centres Indigenous and traditional knowledges.     REGIONS AND KEY PARTNERS   Northwest Territories: Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo Southern Brazil: CEDErva and Embrapa Forestry  Migori County, Kenya: Rongo University and UNESCO Chair on Community Radio for Agricultural Education    FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT   Voicing Change is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.     LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT   We would like to acknowledge that these podcasts have been recorded on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples in the lands now known as Canada, Brazil and Kenya. Though the histories of colonization, decolonization and reconciliation differ across these contexts, we recognise the ongoing legacies of colonial dispossession that have contributed to the food system injustices that we tackle in this podcast. Nevertheless, this podcast was also inspired by the survivance of traditional food systems based on care for the land and other beings; we acknowledge and pay our respects to the ancestors, elders and inheritors of these ways of knowing and being that continue to benefit us all to this day. In a spirit of reciprocity, we recognise the harms done by colonial powers, including by institutions of higher learning, and aim to cultivate an approach of listening and sharing knowledge rather than extracting and profiting from it.    Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Charlie Spring   Voicing Change Team: Olga Awuor, Enock Mac'Ouma, Andres Kathunzi, Evelyn Nimmo, Renata Kempf, Brena Rotter, Laureen Silva, Alessandra de Carvalho, Murilo Siqueira, Andrew Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam     Guests  Dr. Andrew Spring  Dr. Eve Nimmo  Enock Mac'Ouma     Support & Funding  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)    Music Credits  Ali Razmi  Keenan Reimer-Watts     Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG  Whose Land  Voicing Change   Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  CedErva  Rongo University     Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc   Facebook: Handpicked Podcast

Featuring: Naomi Robert  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we speak with Naomi Robert, a Research & Extension Associate at the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnique University and a PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University on her new project called "Beyond GDP: Lessons for Redefining Progress in Canadian Food System Policy". Naomi discusses the problematic history of GDP as a measure of well-being in our country and how we can move towards measures that more accurately depict the well-being of Canadians.     Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Amanda Di Battista   Producer: Charlie Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam     Guests Naomi Robert   Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs   Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts   Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Kwantlen Polytechnique University Institute for Sustainable Food Systems  Simon Fraser University – Food Systems Lab  Genuine Progress Indicator  Canadian Index of Wellbeing  Quality of Life Framework for Canada  Wellbeing Economy Alliance  Stiglitz Commission  Community Resources & Applications of Doughnut Economics    Articles, Podcasts & Essays  Podcast: Kate Raworth: "The Superorganism V. The Doughnut" - resilience   Article: This Pioneering Economist Says Our Obsession With Growth Must End - The New York Times (nytimes.com)  Essay: Economics for a Full World, by Herman Daly Daly-Economics-Full-World.pdf (greattransition.org)  Books  Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.  Hickel, J. (2021). Less is more. Windmill Books.    References and Textbooks  Daly, H. E., & Farley, J. C. (2011). Ecological economics : principles and applications (2nd ed.). Island Press.  Daly, H. E., & Cobb. J.B. (1994). For the Common Good. (2nd ed.). Beacon Press   Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected] Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms Agrifood System  "The agri-food system spans diverse supply chains, from meat and fish to dairy, eggs, crops and produce. Each supply chain involves a variety of stakeholders from farmers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers that operate at local, provincial, national and even international levels"  https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/sustainability/for-researchers/the-agri-food-system/#:~:text=The%20agri%2Dfood%20system%20spans,national%20and%20even%20international%20levels.    Doughnut Economics  "Doughnut Economics proposes an economic mindset that's fit for our times. It's not a set of policies and institutions, but rather a way of thinking to bring about the regenerative and distributive dynamics that this century calls for. Drawing on insights from diverse schools of economic thought - including ecological, feminist, institutional, behavioural and complexity economics - it sets out seven ways to think like a 21st century economist in order to transform economies, local to global.    The starting point of Doughnut Economics is to change the goal from endless GDP growth to thriving in the Doughnut. At the same time, see the big picture by recognising that the economy is embedded within, and dependent upon, society and the living world."  https://doughnuteconomics.org/about-doughnut-economics    Economic Growth  "An economy grows when it has the capacity to produce more. Production is based on how much capital, labor, natural resources, and technology it has to produce. Policies that encourage the accumulation of any of these leads to economic growth."  https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/ap-macroeconomics/ap-long-run-consequences-of-stabilization-policies/economic-growth/a/lesson-summary-economic-growth    Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)   "Described by its authors, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) provides citizens and policymakers fruitful insight by recognizing economic activity that diminishes both natural and social capital. Further, the GPI is designed to measure sustainable economic welfare rather than economic activity alone. To accomplish this, the GPI uses three simple underlying principles for its methodology:  account for income inequality,  include non-market benefits that are not included in Gross Domestic Product, and  identify and deduct bads such as environmental degradation, human health effects, and loss of leisure time.  The GPI developers identified 26 indicators, then populate them with verifiable data. As one example, the pure economic activity stemming from the explosive growth of urban sprawl contributes greatly to the GDP. Yet, along with sprawl come non-economic costs such as increased commuting time, increased traffic congestion, land use conversion, and automobile impacts. In short, just because we are exchanging money within an economy does not necessarily mean that we are sustainable or prosperous."  https://dnr.maryland.gov/mdgpi/Pages/what-is-the-GPI.aspx    Gross Domestic Product (GDP) "GDP measures the monetary value of final goods and services—that is, those that are bought by the final user—produced in a country in a given period of time (say a quarter or a year). It counts all of the output generated within the borders of a country. GDP is composed of goods and services produced for sale in the market and also includes some nonmarket production, such as defense or education services provided by the government."  https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Back-to-Basics/gross-domestic-product-GDP    Migrant Labour Issues  "Shifts in demographic and economic patterns are pushing workers to cross borders for jobs in ever increasing numbers. Migrants often leave their home communities due to extreme poverty and face exploitation as they search for work in unfamiliar terrain. They are commonly subject to subcontracting schemes and precarious jobs in the informal economy. They make vital economic contributions to both their host countries and countries of origin, but confront a dire lack of workplace protection and social security."  https://laborrights.org/issues/migrant-labor    Planetary Boundaries  "The planetary boundaries concept presents a set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.   Crossing boundaries increases the risk of generating large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. Drastic changes will not necessarily happen overnight, but together the boundaries mark a critical threshold for increasing risks to people and the ecosystems we are part of.  Boundaries are interrelated processes within the complex biophysical Earth system. This means that a global focus on climate change alone is not sufficient for increased sustainability. Instead, understanding the interplay of boundaries, especially climate, and loss of biodiversity, is key in science and practice."  https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries/the-nine-planetary-boundaries.html    Canada's Quality of Life Framework  "The Quality of Life Framework for Canada brings together data for approximately 85 key indicators on the well-being of people in Canada. The Framework enables the federal government to identify future policy priorities and to build on previous actions to improve evidence-based decision making and budgeting.  "The Quality of Life Framework for Canada is organized into domains, each of which includes a number of indicators, as shown on the Quality of Life Framework for Canada infosheet. These domains were selected based on evidence of the determinants of well-being to reflect what matters most for quality of life in Canada: prosperity, health, society, the environment and good governance. In addition, the indicators of life satisfaction and sense of meaning and purpose are included as overall measures of quality of life."  https://www160.statcan.gc.ca/index-eng.htm     Well-Being Economy  "A Wellbeing Economy is an economy designed to serve people and the planet, not the other way around. Rather than treating economic growth as an end in and of itself and pursuing it at all costs, a Wellbeing Economy puts our human and planetary needs at the centre of its activities, ensuring that these needs are all equally met, by default"  https://weall.org/what-is-wellbeing-economy    Discussion Questions  An increase in GDP is often assumed to be positive for society overall. Does this episode change your assumptions about growth?     Naomi shared some of the limitations of using GDP as a measure of well-being in the episode. What are some other examples of these types of limitations? What does GDP overlook?    How might alternatives like the "Canadian Index of Wellbeing" and "A Quality of Life Framework for Canada" help address some of the shortcomings of pursuing economic growth at all costs?    Can you imagine how your local food system might look differently if we used quality of life indicators (like public and environmental health impacts) as the primary motivators for food production and distribution?    In many ways, our current economic system forces governments to pursue economic growth (sustaining employment, repaying debt, etc.). What changes to our economic system can allow governments to pursue wellbeing over economic growth? Explore t

Featuring Dr. Evelyn Nimmo In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we sit down with Dr. Evelyn Nimmo, a Research Associate with the LCSFS and the President of the Center for the Development and Education of Traditional Erva-mate Systems (CEDErva) in Paraná, Brazil. Dr. Nimmo shares the ongoing process of applying for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) designation for the traditional agroforestry practices of growing erva-mate in Brazil. She shares the community-focused process, and how this designation might positively affect the practice on the ground.   Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Amanda Di Battista   Producer: Charlie Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam    Guests Dr. Evelyn Nimmo   Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs   Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts   Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity & Sustainability  CEDErva: Center for the Development and Education of Traditional Erva Mate Systems GIAHS: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems Voicing Change: Co-Creating Knowledge and Capacity for Sustainable Food Systems   Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected] Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms Season 3, Episode 5 – "Resilient Communities for the Future": A GIAHS Designation for Agroforestry in Brazil"     Featuring: Dr. Evelyn Nimmo    Glossary of Terms     Agroecology  "Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while also addressing the need for socially equitable food systems within which people can exercise choice over what they eat and how and where it is produced."    https://www.fao.org/agroecology/overview/en/    Agrobiodiversity  "Agrobiodiversity is the result of the interaction between the environment, genetic resources and management systems and practices used by culturally diverse peoples, and therefore land and water resources are used for production in different ways. Thus, agrobiodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms that are necessary for sustaining key functions of the agro-ecosystem, including its structure and processes for, and in support of, food production and food security (FAO, 1999a). Local knowledge and culture can therefore be considered as integral parts of agrobiodiversity, because it is the human activity of agriculture that shapes and conserves this biodiversity."    https://www.fao.org/3/y5609e/y5609e01.htm#:~:text=%5BBox%202%5D%20A%20DEFINITION%20OF,%2C%20livestock%2C%20forestry%20and%20fisheries.    Agroforestry  "Agroforestry is a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. In agroforestry systems there are both ecological and economical interactions between the different components. Agroforestry can also be defined as a dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels. In particular, agroforestry is crucial to smallholder farmers and other rural people because it can enhance their food supply, income and health. Agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that can provide a wide range of economic, sociocultural, and environmental benefits."  https://www.fao.org/forestry/agroforestry/80338/en/    Araucária  "The Araucaria moist forests ecoregion spans the mountainous areas of Southern Atlantic Brazil and extends into northeastern Argentina. It is a coniferous forest ecoregion of the Atlantic Forest biome"   https://lacgeo.com/araucaria-moist-forests   "The Araucária Forest once covered 40% of the territory of Paraná... following centuries of unrestrained timber extraction and misguided political decisions, the forest only has an unbelievable 3% of its original area"   https://www.restaurabrasil.org.br/en/our-projects/araucaria-forest/     Community of Practice  "A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals. Communities of practice often focus on sharing best practices and creating new knowledge to advance a domain of professional practice. Interaction on an ongoing basis is an important part of this. Many communities of practice rely on face-to-face meetings as well as web-based collaborative environments to communicate, connect and conduct community activities."    https://www.communityofpractice.ca/background/what-is-a-community-of-practice/    Conscientization   "The process of developing a critical awareness of one's social reality through reflection and action.  Action is fundamental because it is the process of changing the reality.  Paulo Freire says that we all acquire social myths which have a dominant tendency, and so learning is a critical process which depends upon uncovering real problems and actual needs."    https://freire.org/concepts-used-by-paulo-freire     Dynamic Conservation Plan  "Dynamic conservation strategies which are designed to create, retain or enhance habitat in temporary and adaptable ways, can reinforce the value of protected areas and help species persist in a changing world. Developing and deploying dynamic conservation strategies is especially important for migratory species, marine systems and for adaptive management of climate change-driven species redistributions. Dynamic conservation strategies will become increasingly important for biodiversity conservation, especially as a means of facilitating adaptation to climate change and its concomitant variability and extremes, such as extended drought."    https://www.scienceforconservation.org/science-in-action/dynamic-conservation-story#:~:text=Adaptable%20solutions%20are%20needed.,persist%20in%20a%20changing%20world.    Erva Mate/ Chimarrão (Portuguese) / Yerba mate (Spanish)    "Erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a tree that grows naturally in the Araucaria Forest, which is part of the Atlantic Forest biome, an ecosystem that is at risk of extinction. Within the region known as the Rio de la Plata Basin, where important Brazilian rivers flow, such as the Paraná, Iguaçu, Uruguay and Paraguay Rivers, erva-mate is linked to the traditions of the original inhabitants of southern Brazil. A key element in the Araucaria Forest, erva mate is cultivated and harvested to provide nutritious and delicious teas and infusions that are part of indigenous and settler food ways and cultures."    https://www.cederva.org/en/sistemas-de-producao    Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)    "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) are agroecosystems inhabited by communities that live in an intricate relationship with their territory. These evolving sites are resilient systems characterized by remarkable agrobiodiversity, traditional knowledge, invaluable cultures and landscapes, sustainably managed by farmers, herders, fisherfolk, and forest people in ways that contribute to their livelihoods and food security. Through the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designated over 60 sites around the world."    https://www.fao.org/giahs/en/    Industrial Agriculture System  Large scale, intensive agriculture or animal production systems that rely on chemical fertilizers, and practices that lack diversity, such as monocropping and genetic modification. These systems are built to maximize production and profit, often at the expense of biodiversity and the health and wellbeing of animals.      Discussion Questions     Season 3, Episode 5 – "Resilient Communities for the Future": A GIAHS Designation for Agroforestry in Brazil"    Featuring: Dr. Evelyn Nimmo    Discussion Questions      1.     How might the GIAHS designation (and project activities like creating digital narratives) help convince young people to stay in their communities and farm using traditional systems? Why is this a goal for the project?    2.     Dr. Nimmo talks about the "human elements" of the erva mate system, why are those just as important as the biophysical elements? What might this mean for our understanding of 'conservation'?    3.     A goal of the project is to help traditional farmers recover autonomy and recognition, to challenge the invisibilization of the farmer in the supply chain of erva mate. Can you apply this idea of invisibilization to your own experience of accessing food? Do you know of concepts, social movements or business approaches that attempt to increase democracy in food systems? What is the role of consumers in all of this?    4.     How does the work of CEDErva, and the erva mate growers, challenge common perceptions of what is meant by "modern" and "innovative" when it comes to food systems?     5.     What role does fa

Featuring Dr. Erin Nelson, Dr. Sarah Larsen, Heather Newman, Brent Preston  In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, Dr. Erin Nelson from the University of Guelph interviews some of her community partners. She speaks with Dr. Sarah Larsen, Research Director at the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, and two participants in its farmer-led research program, Heather Newman and Brent Preston. The episode covers ecological farming and farmer-led research and shares important examples of what this looks like in the (quite literally) field.     Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Amanda Di Battista   Producer: Charlie Spring Sound Design & Editing: Narayan Subramoniam    Guests  Dr. Erin Nelson Dr. Sarah Larsen Heather Newman Brent Preston   Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs   Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts   Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity & Sustainability  Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario EFAO's Farmer-Led Research Program EFAO's Research Library EFAO 2018: Minimum tillage with tarps Does tarping between succession plantings reduce the amount of tillage and labour required for organic salad production? EFAO 2020 Research Report: Performance of Chantecler chickens on a reduced protein grower ration Farmers for Climate Solutions Evaluating the EFAO's Farmer-Led Research Program Nelson, E., Hargreaves, S., & Muldoon, D. (2023). Farmer knowledge as formal knowledge: A case study of farmer-led research in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 12(4), 1–24.     Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected] Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms  Agroecology   "Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while also addressing the need for socially equitable food systems within which people can exercise choice over what they eat and how and where it is produced."  https://www.fao.org/agroecology/overview/en/    Biodiversity  "Biological diversity — or biodiversity — is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans. Biodiversity forms the web of life that we depend on for so many things – food, water, medicine, a stable climate, economic growth, among others."  https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity    Climate Change Adaptation  "Adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects. It refers to changes in processes, practices and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change. In simple terms, countries and communities need to develop adaptation solutions and implement actions to respond to current and future climate change impacts."  https://unfccc.int/topics/adaptation-and-resilience/the-big-picture/introduction    Ecological Agriculture   "Regenerative, organic and other holistic practices that improve soil health, protect vital resources such as water and biodiversity, reduce synthetic inputs and prioritize renewable energy sources.  Socially engaged practices that ensure that farming communities are diverse, vibrant, and resilient, while making healthy agricultural products accessible.  Forward-looking practices that are knowledge-intensive and regionally specific, and embrace the potential benefits that innovation and technology provide."  https://efao.ca/about/    EFAO  "The Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) supports farmers to build resilient ecological farms and grow a strong knowledge-sharing community. Established in 1979 by farmers for farmers, EFAO is a membership organization that focuses on farmer-led education, research and community building. EFAO brings farmers together so they can learn from each other and improve the health of their soils, crops, livestock and the environment, to steward resilient ecological farms."  https://efao.ca/    Extension Services  "An agricultural extension service offers technical advice on agriculture to farmers, and also supplies them with the necessary inputs and services to support their agricultural production. It provides information to farmers and passes to the farmers new ideas developed by agricultural research stations. Agricultural extension programmes cover a broad area including improved crop varieties, better livestock control, improved water management, and the control of weeds, pests or plant diseases. Where appropriate, agricultural extension may also help to build up local farmers' groups and organizations so that they can benefit from extension programmes. Agricultural extension, therefore, provides the indispensable elements that farmers need to improve their agricultural productivity."  https://www.fao.org/3/t0060e/T0060E03.htm#:~:text=An%20agricultural%20extension%20service%20offers,developed%20by%20agricultural%20research%20stations.    Farmer-led research  "Farmer-led research is a process of inquiry that uses the scientific method to address your on-farm curiosities and challenges in a way that is compatible with your farming and your equipment. It is a flexible and powerful tool that can be integral to improving operations on your farm, including the environmental and economic impacts of your innovations and comparisons."  https://efao.ca/farmer-led-research/    Tillage  "Tillage—turning the soil to control for weeds and pests and to prepare for seeding—has long been part of crop farming. However, intensive soil tillage can increase the likelihood of soil erosion, nutrient runoff into nearby waterways, and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A reduction in how often or how intensively cropland is tilled enables the soil to retain more organic matter, which leaves the soil less susceptible to wind and water erosion and helps store, or "sequester," carbon."  https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-practices-management/crop-livestock-practices/soil-tillage-and-crop-rotation/    Discussion Questions  What are some of the benefits of "farmer-led research" compared to research proposed and carried out by an external organization or agency?     What did hearing from the farmer-researchers themselves add to your understanding?     The farmer-researchers talk about isolation in the farming profession. How do you think participation in the farmer-led research program could help with that isolation?    One guest mentioned the de-funding of extension services in Canada. Why do you think access to knowledge about ecological and organic farming might be in decline? How do you think farmer-led research could make up for some of this loss of knowledge in Canada? How might farmer-led extension services differ from- and improve upon- more traditional structures of agricultural extension?

Hosted by: Dr. Marylynn Steckley  Produced in collaboration with: Dr. Sonia Wesche, Victoria Marchand, & Dr. Josh Steckley    In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Indigenous Health and Food Systems Podcast called, "Environmental Dispossession, Land, and the Environment" This podcast is hosted by Dr. Marylynn Steckley from Carleton University and is produced in collaboration with Dr. Sonia Wesche and Victoria Marchand from the University of Ottawa and Dr. Josh Steckley from the University of Toronto, Scarborough. The Indigenous Health and Food Systems Podcast aims to elevate the voices of Indigenous scholars in the areas of Indigenous health, food sovereignty, and the social determinants of health. This episode explores the complicated nature of Indigenous connections to land, and how that impacts Indigenous food systems. The guests in the episode explore ideas of environmental dispossession, traditional Indigenous food practices, and environmental stewardship.     Contributors  Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Amanda Di Battista   Producer: Charlie Spring  Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young & Narayan Subramoniam    Guests  Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller  Dr. Hannah Tait Neufeld  Ida Harkness  Emily Charman  Chanel Best  Brette Thomson  Hannah Arnold    Support & Funding  Funding for the Indigenous Health & Food Systems Podcast episode was provided to M. Steckley and S. Wesche by a Shared Online Projects Initiative grant through a partnership between the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Dr. Josh Steckley was supported by the Sustainable Food and Farming Futures Cluster at the University of Toronto, Scarborough  Wilfrid Laurier University  The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems  Balsillie School for International Affairs   CIGI    Music Credits  Keenan Reimer-Watts  Keith Whiteduck    Resources  Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Indigenous Food Systems and Food Sovereignty Podcast    The Inconvenient Indian   Tait Neufeld, H. And C.A.M., Richmond, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre. 2017. Impacts of Place and Social Spaces on Traditional Food Systems in Southwestern Ontario. International Journal of Indigenous Health 12(1):93.    Connect with Us:  Email: [email protected] Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms  Alienation  In Marxist thought, the separation of humans from meaningful engagement with their lifeworlds, specifically through wage labour.   https://www.yorku.ca/horowitz/courses/lectures/35_marx_alienation.html   Colonialism  "Colonialism has been defined as systems and practices that 'seek to impose the will of one people on another and to use the resources of the imposed people for the benefit of the imposer' (Assante, 2006). Colonialism can operate within political, sociological, cultural values and systems of a place even after occupation by colonizers has ended. Colonization is defined as the act of political, physical and intellectual occupation of space by the (often forceful) displacement of Indigenous populations, and gives rise to settler-colonialism, colonial and neo-colonial relations, and coloniality."  https://www.yorku.ca/edu/unleading/systems-of-oppression/coloniality-and-settler-colonialism/ The Coming Faces/ Seven Generations  The Coming Faces is a metaphor for future generations that will need food, water, and land (Horn-Miller – this episode). It is a way of acting with future generations in mind and aligns with the Anishnabek principle of the Seven Generations (Steckley – this episode).   Crown Land   Land owned by the provincial government.   Displacement  An act of physical and spiritual removal of people from land, an act of colonization.  Environmental Dispossession  This describes the loss of land and physical displacement that has resulted in Indigenous populations experiencing trauma, poverty, health and other social problems.  https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1200&context=aprci   Environmental Stewardship  "The responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being"  https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/9774650  Food sovereignty   "Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems."   https://viacampesina.org/en/   Grounded Normativity  "Term by Indigenous scholar Glen Coulthard to describe Indigenous peoples' relationships to land and place, and the solidarity that emerges from this."  https://www.jstor.org/stable/26359594  Indian Act  A policy enacted by the federal government in 1876 which led to the elimination of any Indigenous self-government, mandated attendance in residential schools, banned Indigenous spiritual and cultural activities, removal of land, and other discriminatory actions.  https://www.nwac.ca/assets-knowledge-centre/Indian-Act-Said-What-infographic.pdf  Land Back   "a movement that has existed for generations with a long legacy of organizing and sacrifice to get Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands."  https://landback.org/  Original Instructions  The constellation of teachings and ethical guidelines for living: for hunting, family and ceremonial life, and so on.  https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/  Residential Schools  The Indian residential schools operated in Canada between the 1870s and 1990s, with the goal of assimilating Indigenous people into settler society. These were ran by the Canadian government and various churches. Over 150,000 Indigenous people are estimated to have attended these institutions. Indigenous children were separated from their families, forbidden to speak their traditional languages, and many suffered extreme physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, and death.  https://www.anishinabek.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/An-Overview-of-the-IRS-System-Booklet.pdf  Resurgence  Unlike reconciliation, Indigenous resurgence focuses less on reconciliation with settlers, and centres around Indigenous nations determining how Indigenous rights, recognition, and relationships with other peoples will be respected.   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320719307803   Three Sisters  Corn, beans and squash: three crops grown in symbiotic relationship in some Indigenous communities. In Haudenosaunee storytelling, the Three Sisters sprouted from the body of Sky Woman's daughter.  https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/story-agricultural-science/scientific-achievements-agriculture/three-sisters-optimizing-value-and-food-potential-ancestral-indigenous-crop-system    Discussion Questions   What is land?  What are some of the different ways that speakers described relating to land and land ownership? Why is the 'family cottage' a delicate conversation in Canada? In what ways do the concepts of Coming Faces and the Three Sisters speak to environmental sustainability? How does 'land dispossession' differ from 'environmental dispossession'? How does history and the ongoing colonization faced by Indigenous people affect the food system? How could the return of land through the Land Back movement positively impact Indigenous people's access to traditional foods and food practices? Many of the students in this episode expressed challenges with discussing the ideas of stolen land and the Land Back movement with their families. If you were going to discuss this with your family, what language and ideas would you use?

Hosted by: Dr. Marylynn Steckley Produced in collaboration with: Dr. Sonia Wesche, Victoria Marchand & Dr. Josh Steckley   In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we present an episode of the Indigenous Health and Food Systems Podcast called, "What are Indigenous Foods?" This podcast is hosted by Dr. Marylynn Steckley from Carleton University and is produced in collaboration with Dr. Sonia Wesche and Victoria Marchand from the University of Ottawa and Dr. Josh Steckley from the University of Toronto, Scarborough. The Indigenous Health and Food Systems Podcast aims to elevate Indigenous scholars' voices in Indigenous health, food sovereignty, and the social determinants of health. This particular episode focuses on what Indigenous foods are, and how there are many complex answers to that question because of the impacts of colonization. Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Laine Young & Amanda Di Battista Producer: Charlie Spring Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young & Narayan Subramoniam   Guests Dr. Kahente Horn-Miller   Dr. Hannah Tait Neufeld Ida Harkness Emily Charman Chanel Best Brette Thomson Havailah Arnold   Support & Funding Funding for the Indigenous Health & Food Systems Podcast episode was provided to M. Steckley and S. Wesche by a Shared Online Projects Initiative grant through a partnership between the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Dr. Josh Steckley was supported by the Sustainable Food and Farming Futures Cluster at the University of Toronto, Scarborough Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs CIGI Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts Keith Whiteduck   Resources Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Indigenous Food Systems and Food Sovereignty Podcast  Telling Our Twisted Stories Podcast- BANNOCK   ltamirano-Jiménez, I., and N. Kermoal. (2016). Introduction: Indigenous Women and Knowledge. In Living on the Land: Indigenous Women's Understandings of Place, Kermoal & Altamirano-Jiménez (eds.) p. 3-18. AU Press: Edmonton, Alberta. Unreserved with Falen Johnson (2020). How Indigenous Leaders Are Changing the Future of Food   Tennant, Zoe Heaps (2020). Does Bannock Have a Place in Indigenous Cuisine?   CBC News (2015) Feast Cafe Bistro takes eating local to the next level.     Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Twitter/X: @Handpickedpodc Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms Bannock "Bannock has meant many things to many Indigenous people throughout history, from pre-contact to the fur trade to present times. Before contact, Indigenous people made their own types of bannock and breads using camas bulbs, lichen, moss, cattails, roasted acorns and other plants and roots that were Indigenous to their traditional territories. After contact, Indigenous people began to use wheat and oat flour brought over by the Scottish during the fur trade. Flour was a non-Indigenous food but soon became the staple ingredient in bannock, and in the lives of Indigenous people." https://martlet.ca/bannock-consuming-colonialism/   Colonialism "Colonialism has been defined as systems and practices that 'seek to impose the will of one people on another and to use the resources of the imposed people for the benefit of the imposer' (Assante, 2006). Colonialism can operate within political, sociological, cultural values and systems of a place even after occupation by colonizers has ended. Colonization is defined as the act of political, physical and intellectual occupation of space by the (often forceful) displacement of Indigenous populations, and gives rise to settler-colonialism, colonial and neo-colonial relations, and coloniality." https://www.yorku.ca/edu/unleading/systems-of-oppression/coloniality-and-settler-colonialism/   Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt A symbol and reminder of covenants between the 5 Nations of the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch Government that guided later treaty-building and envisaged a relationship of reciprocity and sharing (that all people sharing a territory should leave enough for others), a promise that many Indigenous people feel was broken many times. https://futurecitiescanada.ca/portal/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/fcc-civic-indigenous-tool3-teaching-twodishonespoon.pdf   Foodways A term to describe peoples' cultural, social and economic food practices, habits and desires (Alkon et al.) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718513000936   Kanyen'kehà:ka Mohawk language. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mohawk   Sky Woman The story of how Sky Woman fell from Skyworld to start life on Turtle Island, passed down and told by different Iroquoian-speaking people to describe the creation of human life on earth but also telling aspects of the Original Instructions guiding relations between humans and the natural world (Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass). https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/ Discussion Questions  1.     In what ways might Indigenous people have a complicated relationship with bannock? Is 'authenticity' a useful term for thinking about food heritage and tradition? 2.     What does Kahente Horn-Miller mean by "food is relational"? 3.     What visuals or emotions come up for you when hearing the story of 'Sky Woman'? How does this story compare to other human origin stories- what are the implications for the way we think about food and food systems? 4.     How do we make sense of, respect, and value traditional Indigenous diets and contemporary foodways today? How do we bring together understanding, and respect, and desire to keep alive traditions and ancestral foods in the contemporary post-colonial world?   5. How does the term 'foodways' differ from 'food systems' in communicating peoples' relationship with food?

In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, your hosts speak with Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer about the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity, and Sustainability. Dr. Blay-Palmer tells us about the priorities of the Chair (sustainable food production, Indigenous and traditional foodways, & transitions to just food systems) and some of the projects supported through the network. We also speak with some attendees of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity's COP15 meetings in December 2022 about agroecology, biodiversity, and their hopes for the future with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).     Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Amanda Di Battista & Laine Young Producer: Charlie Spring Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young & Narayan Subramoniam Guest Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer Lauren Baker Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje Marie-Christine Cormier-Salem Tammi Jonas Sabrina Masinjila Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs CIGI Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts Resources Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity & Sustainability Studies  UNESCO Chairs Programme  Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)  Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)  Handpicked Season 1, Episode 1 - "Because Everybody Eats": Exploring Sustainable Food Systems for a Better World, feat. Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer Handpicked Season 1, Episode 5 - "Change Worth Striving For": International Agreements as Levers for Food Systems Change, feat. Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer    Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Handpickedpodc  Facebook: Handpicked Podcast   Glossary of Terms  Agroecology  "Agroecology is a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems. It seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while also addressing the need for socially equitable food systems within which people can exercise choice over what they eat and how and where it is produced."    https://www.fao.org/agroecology/overview/en/    Agroforestry  "Agroforestry is a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. In agroforestry systems there are both ecological and economical interactions between the different components. Agroforestry can also be defined as a dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels."  https://www.fao.org/forestry/agroforestry/80338/en/    Biodiversity  "Biological diversity — or biodiversity — is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans. Biodiversity forms the web of life that we depend on for so many things – food, water, medicine, a stable climate, economic growth, among others."  https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity    Conference of Parties (COP)  "The Conference of the Parties is the governing body of the Convention (on Biological Diversity), and advances implementation of the Convention through the decisions it takes at its periodic meetings."  https://www.cbd.int/cop/    Food sovereignty   "Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems."   https://viacampesina.org/en/     Industrial Food System  Large scale, intensive agriculture or animal production systems that rely on chemical fertilizers, and practices that lack diversity, such as monocropping and genetic modification. These systems are built to maximize production and profit, often at the expense of biodiversity and the health and wellbeing of animals.   Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework   "The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) following a four year consultation and negotiation process. This historic Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention's previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050."  https://www.cbd.int/gbf/    Monocropping  "Monocropping is planting and growing one type of plant in the same place, year after year. It's the type of planting that occurs under a type of agriculture called monoculture... Monoculture is an agricultural system that involves the planting of a single crop, over and over."  https://foodrevolution.org/blog/monocropping-monoculture/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%202019%20report,but%20pollinator%20diversity%20as%20well.    Sustainable Food System  Food systems that are "socially just, support local economies; are ecologically regenerative, and foster citizen engagement."  https://fledgeresearch.ca/    UNESCO Chairs Programme  "A UNESCO Chair is a team led by a higher education or research institution that partners with UNESCO on a project to advance knowledge and practice in an area of common priority. The partnership is formalized through an agreement between the Director-General of UNESCO and the head of the institution hosting the UNESCO Chair (Rector, President, Vice-Chancellor). Established within a teaching or research unit/department/faculty of the higher education or research institution, the UNESCO Chair is led by an academic head referred to as the Chairholder. The Chairholder is supported by a team of faculty members, lecturers, researchers and students from the host institutions and personnel from other partner organizations (e.g. other institutions, NGOs, public and private sector, authorities) in the host country and in other countries who are associated with the activities of the Chair."  https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/what-you-need-know-about-unesco-chairs-and-unitwin-networks    United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity  "The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the international legal instrument for 'the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources' that has been ratified by 196 nations. Its overall objective is to encourage actions, which will lead to a sustainable future."  https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day/convention#:~:text=The%20Convention%20on%20Biological%20Diversity,been%20ratified%20by%20196%20nations.      Discussion Questions  What are some connections between food systems, sustainability and biodiversity?  In what ways might biodiversity help address challenges related to climate change? How does agroecology help to address the 3 pillars of the UNESCO Chair (sustainable food production, traditional and Indigenous food systems, and transitions to just food systems)?  What is the role and purpose of networks like the UNESCO chair?  Why is it important to include both western science and traditional knowledge within these networks? Why was it so important for smallholder farmers/peasants, Indigenous people, youth, and women to be involved in the development of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)?