The Checkout

Episode 95: Emily Cohen Ibañez and Fruits of Labor

Episode #95 Notes :30 How did you get interested in immigration and agriculture? 5:00 What is the premise of Fruits of Labor? 9:30 The political-economic context of farm work in the US. 15:00 What other parts of the food sector do you explore in this film? 23:30 On the experience of women in farm work. 36:30 What can we do to support your work?

Episode 94: Edgar Franks, Empowering Farmworkers with Familias Unidas por La Justicia

Episode #94 Notes :30 The political-economic context for farm workers in the US, and its exclusion from labor laws. 3:00 How does immigration policy related to farm worker rights? 6:00 Where do a lot of farm workers come from in the US? 8:30 On agriculture in the Skagit Valley in Washington State. 12:30 On recent farm worker labor unrest and organizing in Washington State. 20:00 How have farm workers been treated during COVID? 27:00 How has climate change and extreme heat impacted farm workers? ...

Episode 93: John Lewis and Keegan Kuhn Discuss Their Film,“They’re Trying To Kill Us”

Episode #93 Notes :30 Why did you make “They’re Trying to Kill Us”? 2:00 On growing up in Ferguson, Missouri influence you? 5:00 On food related health outcomes. 7:30 On Racial Capitalism and defining Food Deserts. 13:00 Industrial animal food product and chronic disease in black communities. 17:00 Interconnectivity between large corporate interests. 20:00 Harnessing the power and motivation of Black Lives Matter and other movements around the country. 22:00 What are the benefits of a plant-base...

Episode 92: Professor Alex Racelis on Agroecology and the Rio Grande Valley

Episode #92 Notes :30 Introduction to Agroecology 7:05 Areas of research 9:50 What is Agroecology 12:15 Research strategies 15:40 Agroecology and Regenerative Ag 18:00 Agroecology and GMOs 23:00 Agroecology, Justice and Farmers 29:20 Local food systems 39:50 A Just transition 48:50 Further Reading

Episode 91: Why HelloFresh Workers Want A Union

Episode #90 Notes Jessica Choy, Campaign Director of Unite Here 1:00 - What is Unite Here? And why is Unite Here organizing against Hello Fresh? 4:15 - What was it like working in a Hello Fresh facility during COVID-19? 8:45 - What spurred this campaign at Hello Fresh? 10:30 - What are workers hoping to achieve through organizing at Hello Fresh? 12:00 - Where do you see the labor movement going in the US? 14:00 - Why would you encourage someone to organize? John Youngston, Shipping Department at...

Episode 90: Grocery Update: USDA and EU Farm to Fork Policy

Episode 89: Michele Simon On The Plant Based Industry

Episode #89 Notes 1:00 - What is your motivation? 2:30 - Why did you start the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA)? 5:00 - What are some of your proudest accomplishments at PBFA? 8:00 - Since you’ve left PBFA, what thoughts and concerns do you have for plant based foods? 11:30 - Why won’t ‘the marketplace’ fix the food system? 15:30 - On plant based food’s company advocacy. 19:00 - On greenwashing and cellular agriculture. 26:30 - On food tech and experiments gone awry. 35:30 - What happened to...

Episode 88: Alan Lewis Takes On GMO Food Technology

Episode #88 Notes 0:45 - Alan’s issues of synthetic biology and GMO. 9:15 - On gene editing, CRISPR, and defining synthetic biology. 22:00 - How these technologies work and how they’re deployed in food production. 27:00 - Who is funding these technologies in food production? 38:00 - The Commons as a response to consolidated agricultural land ownership. 42:00 - On GMO’s in Africa. Book Recommendation The Great Transformation , Karl Polanyi...

Episode 87: Dr. Bronner’s Ethical Supply Chain

Episode #87 Notes 1:00 - What makes Dr. Bronner’s supply chain so unique? 4:30 - How did the supply chain come about and develop? 14:00 - What are the typical conditions of farmers and supply chain workers? 21:40 - How have workers and owners in the Dr. Bronner’s supply chain benefited from their relationship with y’all? 27:00 - How have customers reacted to your developments in supply chain? And is it replicable? 35:00 - How is Dr. Bronner’s approach creating a more fair and just food system? 4...

Episode 86: Grocery Updates: Defining New Food Technology + Food Worker Victories