Eric Holt-Giménez, is the Executive Director of the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First) and author of a new book called, Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It?  During our conversation, we discussed how our current food system produces more food than we can possibly eat (1-1/2 times more) which creates food waste, while 1/3 of the world struggles with hunger. The overproduction causes the prices to go down, which makes it very hard for a farmer to make a livable wage, and to pay their workers a livable wage. As a result, farms consolidate to stay in business, they mechanize to produce more, people lose jobs, biodiversity is lost, and farmers are hungry (70% are women.)

So what are we to do? Eric suggests a complete overhaul of our food system as we know it, based on agroecology, using nature to produce food sustainably. We need to set strict rules on over-production, rules on environmental stewardship, set fair parity pricing, and create working conditions that are fair, safe and just. The Green New Deal has hope for the future, and we need to make sure that sustainable farming practices are a part of it. We all need to work on building alliances with grass root organizations, farmers, fast food workers, minimum job workers, unions, and students, so that we have the power of the people to stand up to the conglomerates that we need to take down!

My suggestion is to read his book, Can We Feed the World Without Destroying It? and listen to our interview, which you can do right here!