7 Radio Clips, Episodes, and Shows About Current Ag Issues

Here is a little tidbit about the CAST staff: A couple of us are former radio broadcasters, which means the medium (podcasts, too) reserves a special place in our hearts. 

And, naturally, we enjoy sharing various forms of ag communication. So, here are seven episodes, clips, and shows that we’ve shared in Friday Notes or on social media throughout 2019 that talk about current issues in agriculture.

Dr. Alison van Eenennaam - Animal Genetics, Food Marketing, and World Hunger
The Canteen Podcast with Ally Houston
From the website: “Dr. Alison van Eenennaam is a public sector academic at the University of California Davis using science to improve the efficiency of agriculture. I really think that this is a dynamite episode that reveals some truths about beef and dairy production that are not widely known, but should be. We talk about world hunger. GMO, food marketing, and how ruminant agriculture has its place at the table.”

'I Rue The Day We Ever Became Farmers': In Rural India, A Struggle To Survive
NPR
This story aired in early 2019 and displays the struggle of Indian farmers in a time when farmers across the world are feeling the stress from poor crop yields and low profits. 

176: Jan Libbey of One Step at a Time Gardens on Scaling Up, Scaling Down, and Partnerships and Networking
Farmer to Farmer with Chris Blanchard
While new episodes have not been produced since the podcast creator’s passing in 2018, these episodes (like the one above) provide insights from real farmers about their production and marketing practices for their small-farm businesses. The episode above was the last produced.

Newsline and Features
USDA 
The USDA provides daily clips of ag-related stories ranging from farm computer usage data to crop conditions to nutrition advice. 

#88: Our Food Choices & Climate Change. The Science & Facts ~Frank Mitloehner
AdapNation
From the website: “Dr. Frank Mitloehner joins us to help unpack the reality of all things livestock, agriculture, and the industries’ associated planetary impact. It’s a complex multi-faceted subject, yet easy to follow with Frank at the helm.”

Organic Food
Science Vs.
From the website: “It’s an epic three-way battle this week -- organic vs conventional vs …science. Three out of every four American grocery stores sell organic products, but what are you really getting when you buy them? Better taste? Fewer toxic chemicals? A cleaner environment? Farmers Mark, Andy, and Brian Reeves, nutritional epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Bradbury, Prof. Cynthia Curl, and Prof. Navin Ramankutty help us sort it all out.”

191 – Indian Farmers Protest for Technology Access
Talking Biotech Podcast with Kevin Folta
While Dr. Kevin Folta, the 2016 BCCA winner, produces many insightful episodes featuring the various ways biotechnology can or could impact agriculture and medicine, we’re pretty fond of his interview with Dr. C.S. Prakash, the 2015 BCCA winner, about the current genetically engineered Bt crop use issue in India.