Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): collaboration

Anthony Bourdain taught us the power of sharing a meal and leaving biases at the door

By David Festa / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: June 13, 2018

“What I aspire to is the grace with which he was able to meet people where they were and, at the same time, challenge preconceived notions.”

I never knew Anthony Bourdain or even saw him in person. Yet, that he existed in the world – that I could turn on the TV or pick up something he’d written and get a dose of inspiration, or laughter, or learn something about food, life, relationships, or what it means to be authentic – was such a gift.

His 1999 New Yorker essay “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,” and subsequent book, Kitchen Confidential, were full of bombast, bad-ass adventure and raw truth-telling. That made him fun to read, and later to watch. But if that is all it was, I doubt I’d find his death so devastatingly sad.

It was his passion for his craft, his love of people, and, ultimately, his talent for being able to suspend his own (strong) biases and beliefs in order to bring people together, that resonates deeply with me as I think about the work I lead for Environmental Defense Fund.

Bridging cultural divides

Bourdain often said that Parts Unknown, the “food show” that made him a global celebrity, wasn’t ever really about food. It was about people. It was about sitting down with them and learning who they were. It was about sharing ideas, asking questions, and opening up their world and their worldviews to the rest of us.

He embraced the dichotomy of the world being a really big place and a small planet all at the same time. Read More »

Posted in Agriculture, Food / Also tagged Anthony Bourdain, bias, conservation, conversation, Don't Eat Before Reading This, environment, food, Kitchen Confidential, Parts Unknown, sharing a meal | Comments are closed

There’s no winner takes all when it comes to the environment

By David Festa / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 29, 2017

After many years of working to protect the environment, I have come to believe in two big ideas: community and civility.

The first seems simple, but is profound nonetheless: From a tiny frog to a giant grizzly, from a family farmer to the residents of our largest cities, all of us are in this together. We all rely upon the benefits that nature provides to prosper.

That’s not what we hear from some politicians who parrot discredited talking points that claim environmental protection kills jobs and cripples the economy.

The truth is that a thriving economy and high quality of life are inextricably linked to, and dependent upon, a healthy environment. We neglect – or worse, punish – the natural world at our peril. Read More »

Posted in Agriculture / Also tagged collaborative conservation, community, economy, Rancher Farmer Fisherman, resilience | Comments are closed

Why we need a new era of collaborative conservation

By Josette Lewis / Bio / Published: August 11, 2017

This year’s Gulf of Mexico dead zone is the largest ever recorded, affecting 8,776 square miles – similar in size to the state of New Jersey.

Agriculture – from fertilizers and livestock production – is a major source of the nutrients that cause these harmful algal blooms in our lakes and coastal areas. Fertilizers are required to grow food, but we know that making farming practices more efficient and creating natural buffers and filters around farms can reduce runoff.

Farming is already risky business, with unpredictable weather, tough global competition and fluctuating commodity prices.

Implementing conservation practices at scale without hurting growers’ productivity requires understanding the challenges of different sectors and bringing together their expertise and investment. It’s a collaborative effort, and we must recognize that we are all working around a common goal: a more sustainable food system.

This month, Environmental Defense Fund is launching a series of public events – in Bozeman, St. Louis, and Des Moines – to highlight, advance, and celebrate collaborations among private landowners, food and agriculture companies, policy makers, and the public.

Posted in Agriculture / Also tagged agriculture, algae bloom, conservation, dead zone, environmental defense fund, farm bill, farmers, food production, food security, natural resources, NCGA, NRCS, sustainability, USDA, Walmart | Comments are closed

There’s good reason to end the agriculture versus the environment fight

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: March 14, 2017

To keep farming, growers need to be profitable On paper, I appear to be the picture perfect stereotype of an east coast liberal: I’ve been working at environmental nonprofits for over 20 years, I’m an Ivy League grad, and I live in the “bluest” county in Virginia. When it comes to first impressions in the world of agriculture, I’ve been met countless times with skepticism and even contempt.

The reality is that I spend nearly every waking hour of my career collaborating with farmers – exploring ways to implement on-the-ground practices that help producers save money and protect yields while also reducing impacts to water and air. After years of building relationships, I’m proud of the diverse and unlikely partnerships I’ve formed. Many of my closest friends and allies would be labeled as “big ag.”

But I’m worried that today’s political divisions will roll back the decades of progress reducing nutrient runoff across the Corn Belt and beyond. I don’t want to see doors closed because of assumptions on either side of the political divide that now dominate the country. Read More »

Posted in Agriculture / Also tagged bipartisan, common ground, conservation, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, ESA, farm bill, farm income, rural America, Waters of the U.S., WOTUS | Read 7 Responses