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Handpicked: Stories from the Field

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by Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems

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25 episodes

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Presented by the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, Handpicked: Stories from the Field is a podcast series that showcases research that drives positive change in our food systems—ways we produce, gather, eat, understand and dispose of our food. Produced and hosted by Laine Young and Dr. Charlie Spring, the series presents compelling, real-life stories of food practitioners, such as farmers, policymakers and activists. Episodes follow researchers and community partners in their efforts to make their food systems more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

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9/27/2019

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for Season 5, Episode 3 - "Only as good as the organizing that accompanies it": Filmmaking as Food System Solidarity, a Conversation with Raj Patel

April 15, 2026

Season 5, Episode 3 - "Only as good as the organizing that accompanies it": Filmmaking as Food System Solidarity, a Conversation with Raj Patel

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW20671578 BCX0"> Season 5 Episode 3 – "Only as good as the organizing that accompanies it": Filmmaking as Food System Solidarity, a Conversation with Raj Patel </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW20671578 BCX0"> Featuring: Raj Patel </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW20671578 BCX0"> In this special episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we sit down with renowned author, activist, and filmmaker Raj Patel for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about food justice, climate change, and solidarity across difference. The discussion takes listeners behind the scenes of his decade-long documentary project The Ants and the Grasshopper, co-directed with Zak Piper and centered on the powerful leadership of Malawian farmer and activist Anita Chitaya, and the work of Soils, Food, & Healthy Communities. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW20671578 BCX0"> This episode explores how farmer-led agroecology, gender justice, and climate action are deeply intertwined. Raj reflects on the challenges and lessons of creating a truly participatory and decolonizing filmmaking process, one that ultimately shifted creative control toward Anita herself demonstrating a more ethical approach to telling stories from the Global South. The conversation dives into key themes raised by the film: the gendered burdens of food and care work, the links between climate change and domestic violence, and the role of religion, race, and class in shaping food systems politics. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW20671578 BCX0"> Listeners also hear about the film's impact beyond the screen, from grassroots screenings in churches and social movements to its use as a tool for organizing. Throughout the episode, Raj emphasizes that real change comes not from individual actions or pity, but from collective organizing, movement-building, and an ethic of mutual liberation. <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> Contributors </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> Co-Producers & Hosts: <a href= "https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties.../faculty-of-science/faculty-profiles/laine-young/index.html">Dr. Laine Young</a> & <a href="https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/">Dr. Charlie Spring</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> Guests </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW97522286 BCX0"> <a href= "https://rajpatel.org/"><span class= "NormalTextRun CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRest CommentHighlightRest SCXW97522286 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph" data-ccp-parastyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Times New Roman",469777842,"Times New Roman",469777843,"Times New Roman",469777844,"Times New Roman",201341986,"1",469769226,"Times New Roman",268442635,"24",469775450,"paragraph",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"paragraph",335572020,"1",335559705,"4105",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"Normal"]}"> Raj Patel </a> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Support & Funding </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Wilfrid Laurier University </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Balsillie School for International Affairs </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Music Credits </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Keenan Reimer-Watts Resources <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://soilandfood.org/">Soils, Food & Healthy Communities</a> (please support if you can) </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.antsandgrasshopper.org/">The Ants & the Grasshopper Film Website</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGwfHSoZ5mI">Film Trailer</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> Where to Watch </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-ants--the-grasshopper/umc.cmc.6bvn278rdc5ed062gnododgcs"> Apple TV</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13281477">Kanopy</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/15792254">Hoopla</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> Organizations/Projects </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://viacampesina.org/en/">La Via Campesina</a> (international food sovereignty movement) </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.mstbrazil.org/">MST</a> (Brazil's Landless Workers Movement) </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://abahlali.org/">International Shack Dwellers Movement</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://nffc.net/">National Family Farm Coalition</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.nfu.ca/">National Farmers Union</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://blackfoodjustice.org/">National Black Food & Justice Alliance</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/centre-for-sustainable-food-systems/research/voicing-change.html"> Voicing Change</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> Further Reading <a href= "https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2020.1741551">Patel, R., & Goodman, J. (2020). The Long New Deal. Journal of Peasant Studies, 47(3), 431–463. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW112002438 BCX0"> <a href= "https://rajpatel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Lentz_et_al-2018-Development_and_Change-1.pdf"> Lentz, E., Beznwe Kerr, R., Patel, R., Dakishoni, L., & Lupafya, E. (2018). The invisible hand that rocks the cradle: On the limits of time use surveys. Development and Change, 50, 301-328.</a> </div> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Connect with Us: </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Email: Handpickedpodcast@wlu.ca </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/company/handpicked-stories-from-the-field-podcast"> LinkedIn</a> <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/handpickedpod">Instagram</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/">Facebook</a> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW59898591 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"ac0262f4-8a9e-5820-b908-2d943c5f7113|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"22",469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",335572020,"1",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}"> Glossary of Terms<span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW59898591 BCX0" data-ccp-charstyle="eop" data-ccp-charstyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"920dbcde-2834-5e15-a5fa-062170b236ba|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Calibri",469777842,"",469777843,"Calibri",469777844,"Calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"Calibri",268442635,"22",469775450,"eop",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"eop",335572020,"1",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">  </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Agroecology A way of farming that combines ecological science with farmer knowledge, emphasizing sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Climate Justice The idea that climate change is not just environmental, but social and political, with the greatest harms often falling on those least responsible. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Decolonizing Storytelling / Filmmaking Practices that shift power over narratives toward the communities represented, challenging extractive or colonial approaches to media. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Food Justice An approach to food systems that focuses on equity, who has access to good food, who produces it, and how power shapes those realities. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Food Sovereignty The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> <a class= "Hyperlink SCXW59898591 BCX0" href= "https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Global North / Global South Terms describing global inequalities rooted in colonialism, where wealth and power are unevenly distributed. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> La Vía Campesina A global movement of peasants and farmers advocating for food sovereignty and agrarian justice. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> <a href= "https://viacampesina.org/en/international-peasants-voice/">https://viacampesina.org/en/international-peasants-voice/</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Mutual Liberation The principle that justice and freedom are interconnected. No group can be free while others are oppressed. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Patriarchy Social systems in which power is largely held by men, shaping inequalities in labor, decision-making, and control over resources. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Reproductive Labor (Care Work) Often unpaid or undervalued work (cooking, caregiving, and subsistence farming) that sustains households and communities. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW59898591 BCX0"> Solidarity Collective action rooted in shared struggle and mutual responsibility, not charity or pity. Discussion Questions <div class="SCXW105529273 BCX0"> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW105529273 BCX0"> <ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="list" start= "1"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="%1)" data-font="Calibri Light" data-listid="64" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":0,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769242":[65533,0],"469777803":"left","469777804":"%1)","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> How does the film challenge conventional representations and documentaries of hunger and food insecurity, especially in the Global South? </li> </ol> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW105529273 BCX0"> <ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="list" start= "2"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="%1)" data-font="Calibri Light" data-listid="64" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":0,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769242":[65533,0],"469777803":"left","469777804":"%1)","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> "You can't tackle hunger without tackling gender inequality". How does the Ants and the Grasshopper convey different threads of Anita's story (e.g. her marriage, her journey to America) to reveal connections between patriarchy, food systems, and racial capitalism (a framework asserting that capitalism is inherently dependent on racism)? </li> </ol> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW105529273 BCX0"> <ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="list" start= "3"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="%1)" data-font="Calibri Light" data-listid="64" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":0,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769242":[65533,0],"469777803":"left","469777804":"%1)","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> How does Anita organize effectively for change across the huge geographical and wealth gaps evident in the film? For example, what is the role of religion? How can discomfort and difference be leveraged as potent nodes for conversation and change? </li> </ol> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW105529273 BCX0"> <ol class="NumberListStyle1 SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="list" start= "4"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW105529273 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="%1)" data-font="Calibri Light" data-listid="64" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":0,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769242":[65533,0],"469777803":"left","469777804":"%1)","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> What does it mean to be an activist for just food systems, for a liveable planet? What is the role for feelings of pity or even empathy, and how can we move beyond this towards solidarity or 'mutual liberation'? What is the role for social movements? And what does Raj mean by saying 'to be an activist is to liberate yourself'? </li> </ol> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Episode thumbnail for Season 5, Episode 2 - "Taking power into their own hands ": Women Leading Food Systems Change in Canada's North, Ecuador, and Uganda

January 30, 2026

Season 5, Episode 2 - "Taking power into their own hands ": Women Leading Food Systems Change in Canada's North, Ecuador, and Uganda

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW204396647 BCX0"> Season 5 Episode 2 - "Taking power into their own hands ": Women Leading Food Systems Change in Canada's North, Ecuador, and Uganda </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW204396647 BCX0"> Featuring: Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Dr. Andrea Brown, and Carla Johnston </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW204396647 BCX0"> In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, we take listeners behind the scenes of a special International Women's Day panel hosted by the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems. This event brought together women scholars and practitioners working across diverse food systems in Ecuador, Canada's Northwest Territories, and Uganda. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW204396647 BCX0"> Featuring insights from Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Carla Johnston, Dr. Andrea Brown, and your co-host, Dr. Laine Young, the episode explores how gender justice in food systems is deeply interconnected with migration, Indigenous governance, urbanization, power, and lived experience. Through case studies on urban agriculture in Quito, Indigenous food governance and agroecology in Canada's North with the Sambaa K'e First Nation and Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation, the Committee on World Food Security for the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women and girls empowerment, and migrant food insecurity in Kampala, the speakers reflect on feminist and intersectional research, positionality, and the importance of community-based knowledge.<span class= "EOP SCXW204396647 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":240,"335559739":240,"335559740":259}"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW204396647 BCX0"> Together, they ask timely questions about who produces knowledge, whose voices are prioritized in research and policy, and how women and gender-diverse people are shaping more just and resilient food systems locally and globally. <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Contributors </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Co-Producers & Hosts: <a href= "https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties.../faculty-of-science/faculty-profiles/laine-young/index.html">Dr. Laine Young</a> & <a href="https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/">Dr. Charlie Spring</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Guests </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://balsillieschool.ca/people/alison-blay-palmer/"><span class="NormalTextRun CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRest CommentHighlightRest SCXW193394352 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph" data-ccp-parastyle-defn= "{"ObjectId":"aaed607e-c2a3-5841-9fb4-41037bfa0faf|1","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"Times New Roman",469777842,"Times New Roman",469777843,"Times New Roman",469777844,"Times New Roman",201341986,"1",469769226,"Times New Roman",268442635,"24",469775450,"paragraph",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"paragraph",335572020,"1",335559705,"4105",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"Normal"]}"> Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-arts/faculty-profiles/andrea-m-brown/index.html"> Dr. Andrea Brown </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://balsillieschool.ca/people/carla-johnston/">Carla Johnston </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Support & Funding </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Wilfrid Laurier University </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Balsillie School for International Affairs </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Music Credits </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Keenan Reimer-Watts </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Resources </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10312-7"> Price, M.J., Latta, A., Temmer, J., Johnston, C., Chiot, L., Jumbo, J., Scott, K., & Spring, A. (2022) "Agroecology in the North: centering Indigenous food sovereignty and land stewardship in agriculture 'frontiers'". Agriculture and Human Values. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042415"> Johnston, C. & Spring, A. (2021) "Grassroots and Global Governance: can global-local linkages foster food systems resilience for small northern Canadian communities?" Sustainability. 13(2415). </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://klajkzhyjdke-u5525.pressidiumcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MiFOOD18.pdf"> Brown, A.M. (2024). Refugee Protection and Food Secuirity in Kampala, Uganda. Migration & Food Security (MiFOOD) Paper No. 18. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-93072-1_4"> Brown, A.M. (2022). Co-productive urban planning: Protecting and expanding food security in Uganda's secondary cities. In Liam Riley and Jonathan Crush (eds). Transforming Urban Food Systems in Secondary Cities in Africa. Palgrave </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2762/"> Young, L. N. (2025). Operationalizing intersectionality analysis for urban agriculture in Quito, Ecuador. Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2762. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.550636/full"> Rodríguez, A., Jácome-Polit, D., Santandreu, A., Paredes, D., & Álvaro, N. P. (2022). Agroecological urban agriculture and food resilience: The Case of Quito, Ecuador. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/742373/theory-of-water-by-leanne-betasamosake-simpson/9781039010260"> Theory of Water: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.lspirg.org/knowtheland"> Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.whose.land/en/">Whose Land </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Connect with Us: </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Email: Handpickedpodcast@WLU.ca </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> LinkedIn: <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/company/handpicked-stories-from-the-field-podcast">Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast</a><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/company/handpicked-stories-from-the-field-podcast"> </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Facebook: <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/">Handpicked Podcast</a><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/"> </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Glossary of Terms </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Feminist Research Research that centers gendered power relations, values lived experience and seeks social justice and equity. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Food Security Having reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and preferences. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.wfp.org/stories/food-security-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters"> https://www.wfp.org/stories/food-security-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters<span class="EOP SCXW193394352 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Food Sovereignty The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <a class= "Hyperlink SCXW193394352 BCX0" href= "https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/</a> </div> <div class="SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Gender-Diverse Encompassing identities beyond the binary categories of woman and man. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Global Food Governance International institutions, policies, and processes that shape food systems and food security worldwide. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Indigenous Governance Decision-making systems rooted in Indigenous laws, knowledge, and self-determination. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Intersectionality A framework that examines how overlapping identities (such as gender, race, class, Indigeneity, and migration status) interact with systems and structures of power to shape lived experiences. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Positionality The recognition of how a researcher's identity, background, and social location influence the research process. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Reflexivity Ongoing critical self-reflection by researchers about their role, assumptions, and impact. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Discussion Questions<span class="EOP SCXW193394352 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":240,"335559739":0,"335559740":259}"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul> <li class="Paragraph SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level= "1">In what ways do women act as knowledge holders, leaders, and connectors within food systems across different contexts?</li> <li class="Paragraph SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level= "1">How do global governance frameworks (like the UN Committee on World Food Security) both support and limit gender justice and Indigenous rights? </li> <li class="Paragraph SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level= "1">What similarities emerge across the case studies in Quito, the Northwest Territories, and Kampala despite their very different contexts?</li> <li class="Paragraph SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level= "1">How do positionality and reflexivity shape the ethics and outcomes of research conducted across cultures and geographies?</li> <li class="Paragraph SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="heading" aria-level= "1">What does an intersectional feminist approach reveal about food systems that gender-neutral or technical approaches often miss?<span class= "EOP SCXW193394352 BCX0" data-ccp-props= "{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"134245418":true,"134245529":true,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559737":0,"335559738":240,"335559739":0,"335559740":259}"> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0"> Bringing Intersectionality into Research Practice: Questions to Ask Yourself as a Researcher </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> Where does knowledge come from and what am I counting as knowledge? </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> Who's bringing this knowledge forward? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> How do the power relations present impact my results? How? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> Why do I need to think about scale? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"> Am I using reflexivity in this research? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"> How has history impacted where we are? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="7" data-aria-level="1"> Am I applying social justice principles? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="8" data-aria-level="1"> Am I promoting and/or furthering equity in the research that I'm doing? </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW193394352 BCX0"> <ul class="BulletListStyle1 SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="list"> <li class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW193394352 BCX0" role="listitem" aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="62" data-list-defn-props= "{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="9" data-aria-level="1"> How does resilience and resistance impact the work that's being done? </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>

December 2, 2025

Season 5, Episode 1 - "Food as Fertile Ground for Change" Cultivating Community: Food Justice in the Bow Valley and Beyond

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW72682255 BCX0"> Season 5, Episode 1 - "Food as Fertile Ground for Change" Cultivating Community: Food Justice in the Bow Valley and Beyond Featuring: Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz, Avni Soma, Syma Habib, Jun Cacayuran, Melissa West Morrison, & Dr. Tatenda Mambo </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW72682255 BCX0"> In this episode of Handpicked: Stories from the Field, our conversation comes from the Bow Valley in Alberta, where a group of organizers, researchers, and community leaders gathered in 2024 to talk about food justice and the everyday work of reshaping food systems. In this episode, Charlie Spring sits down with the event's co-organizers, Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz and Avni Soma, to look back on what unfolded at their "Cultivating Community" gathering. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW72682255 BCX0"> The episode brings together stories about community-led food aid, Indigenous food relationships, regenerative agriculture, migrant community organizing, and the emotional power of food to connect and transform. Alongside Lauren and Avni's reflections, listeners hear short excerpts from the event's panellists, Syma Habib, Jun Cacayuran, Melissa West Morrison, and Dr. Tatenda Mambo, whose perspectives and insights bring important nuance to the conversation. </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW72682255 BCX0"> Rather than framing food systems as problems to "fix," the episode leans into questions of relationship, responsibility, and the slow, often messy work of imagining something better together. It's a thoughtful, grounded start to the season, and an invitation to consider what food justice looks like in our own communities. <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Contributors </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Co-Producers & Hosts: <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineyoung/">Dr. </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineyoung/">Laine Young</a> & <a href="https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/">Dr. Charlie Spring </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Guests </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/lauren-kepkiewicz"> Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://avnisoma.ndp.ca/"> Avni Soma </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/syma-habib/?originalSubdomain=ca"> Syma Habib </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/p/Filipino-Organization-in-the-Rocky-Mountains-100064757947189/"> Jun Cacayuran </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.redfoxsociety.org/team-4/melissa-west-morrison"> Melissa West Morrison </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatenda-mambo/?originalSubdomain=ca"> Dr. Tatenda Mambo </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Support & Funding </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (Lauren Kepkiewicz, Marit Rosol, Elizabeth Vibert, Eric Holt-Gimenez, and Charlie Spring) </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.wlu.ca/"> Wilfrid Laurier University </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/centre-for-sustainable-food-systems/index.html"> The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.balsillieschool.ca/"> Balsillie School for International Affairs </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Music Credits </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Keenan Reimer-Watts </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Resources </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW208879838 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/p/Filipino-Organization-in-the-Rocky-Mountains-100064757947189/"> Filipino Organization in the Rocky Mountains (FORM) </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW208879838 BCX0"> <a href= "https://issuu.com/mountainlifemedia/docs/mlrm-summer-2022"> Kepkiewicz, L. & Cacayuran, J. (2022). Bringing ayuda and bayanihan to the Rockies. Mountain Life, Rocky Mountain, pp. 30. </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW208879838 BCX0"> <a href= "http://www.lspirg.org/knowtheland"> Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG </a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW208879838 BCX0"> <a href= "https://www.whose.land/en/">Whose Land </a> </div> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Connect with Us: </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Email: Handpickedpodcast@wlu.ca </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> LinkedIn: <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/company/handpicked-stories-from-the-field-podcast"> Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast</a> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW54088849 BCX0"> Facebook:<a href= "https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/"> </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/">Handpicked Podcast</a><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/"> </a> </div> </div>

25 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Handpicked: Stories from the Field?: Presented by the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, Handpicked: Stories from the Field is a podcast series that showcases research that drives positive change in our food systems—ways we produce, gather, eat, understand and dispose of our food.

Produced and hosted by Laine Young and Dr. Charlie Spring, the series presents compelling, real-life stories of food practitioners, such as farmers, policymakers and activists. Episodes follow researchers and community partners in their efforts to make their food systems more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Information about guest appearances is not available.

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