Agroecology Uprooted – Details, episodes & analysis

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.

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

With food systems and the planet in crisis, what would true resilient, sustainable, and just solutions look like? The answer may lie in a method called agroecology, a holistic approach to food, agriculture, nature, and social systems that’s already taking root around the globe. In this upcoming series, hear from farmers, scientists, food movement leaders, and other experts about what agroecology is, how it works, and why a transition to agroecology is needed now more than ever.

New episodes drop every two weeks starting April 14, 2026. Transcripts and notes available at iatp.org.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

Ahead of IATP's final days at COP27, hear from Shefali Sharma on progress at the conference and the struggle to hold governing bodies accountable.

Visit our COP27 web hub for more articles, reports and media.

With COP27 under way in Sharm El-Sheikh, hear a message from IATP's Sophia Murphy on her experience so far, recorded in the early hours before Day 5 of the conference. Learn more about Article 6.4 and what needs to be done to regulate offset markets here and visit our COP27 web hub at iatp.org/cop27-2022.