Handpicked: Stories from the Field

About 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.

Publisher

Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Sept 2019

Latest episode

15 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Apr 2026

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

   Season 5 Episode 3 – "Only as good as the organizing that accompanies it": Filmmaking as Food System Solidarity, a Conversation with Raj Patel Featuring: Raj Patel 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. 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. 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. Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young & Dr. Charlie Spring (https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/) Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young Guests Raj Patel Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts Resources Soils, Food & Healthy Communities (please support if you can) The Ants & the Grasshopper Film Website Film Trailer Where to Watch Apple TV Kanopy Hoopla Organizations/Projects La Via Campesina (international food sovereignty movement) MST (Brazil's Landless Workers Movement) International Shack Dwellers Movement National Family Farm Coalition National Farmers Union National Black Food & Justice Alliance Voicing Change Further Reading Patel, R., & Goodman, J. (2020). The Long New Deal. Journal of Peasant Studies, 47(3), 431–463. 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. Connect with Us: Email: Handpickedpodcast@wlu.ca LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Glossary of Terms Agroecology A way of farming that combines ecological science with farmer knowledge, emphasizing sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice. 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. Decolonizing Storytelling / Filmmaking Practices that shift power over narratives toward the communities represented, challenging extractive or colonial approaches to media. 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. Food Sovereignty The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance. https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/ Global North / Global South Terms describing global inequalities rooted in colonialism, where wealth and power are unevenly distributed. La Vía Campesina A global movement of peasants and farmers advocating for food sovereignty and agrarian justice. https://viacampesina.org/en/international-peasants-voice/ Mutual Liberation The principle that justice and freedom are interconnected. No group can be free while others are oppressed. Patriarchy Social systems in which power is largely held by men, shaping inequalities in labor, decision-making, and control over resources. Reproductive Labor (Care Work) Often unpaid or undervalued work (cooking, caregiving, and subsistence farming) that sustains households and communities. Solidarity Collective action rooted in shared struggle and mutual responsibility, not charity or pity. Discussion Questions How does the film challenge conventional representations and documentaries of hunger and food insecurity, especially in the Global South? "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)? 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? 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'?

2. 

   30 Jan 2026

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

   Season 5 Episode 2 - "Taking power into their own hands ": Women Leading Food Systems Change in Canada's North, Ecuador, and Uganda Featuring: Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer, Dr. Andrea Brown, and Carla Johnston 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. 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. 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. Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young & Dr. Charlie Spring (https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/) Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young Guests Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer Dr. Andrea Brown Carla Johnston Support & Funding Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts Resources 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. 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). Brown, A.M. (2024). Refugee Protection and Food Secuirity in Kampala, Uganda. Migration & Food Security (MiFOOD) Paper No. 18. 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 Young, L. N. (2025). Operationalizing intersectionality analysis for urban agriculture in Quito, Ecuador. Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2762. 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. Theory of Water: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Connect with Us: Email: Handpickedpodcast@WLU.ca LinkedIn: Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast Facebook: Handpicked Podcast Glossary of Terms Feminist Research Research that centers gendered power relations, values lived experience and seeks social justice and equity. Food Security Having reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and preferences. https://www.wfp.org/stories/food-security-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters Food Sovereignty The right of people and communities to define their own food systems, including cultural foodways, land access, and governance. https://viacampesina.org/en/what-is-food-sovereignty/ Gender-Diverse Encompassing identities beyond the binary categories of woman and man. Global Food Governance International institutions, policies, and processes that shape food systems and food security worldwide. Indigenous Governance Decision-making systems rooted in Indigenous laws, knowledge, and self-determination. 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. Positionality The recognition of how a researcher's identity, background, and social location influence the research process. Reflexivity Ongoing critical self-reflection by researchers about their role, assumptions, and impact. Discussion Questions In what ways do women act as knowledge holders, leaders, and connectors within food systems across different contexts? How do global governance frameworks (like the UN Committee on World Food Security) both support and limit gender justice and Indigenous rights? What similarities emerge across the case studies in Quito, the Northwest Territories, and Kampala despite their very different contexts? How do positionality and reflexivity shape the ethics and outcomes of research conducted across cultures and geographies? What does an intersectional feminist approach reveal about food systems that gender-neutral or technical approaches often miss? Bringing Intersectionality into Research Practice: Questions to Ask Yourself as a Researcher Where does knowledge come from and what am I counting as knowledge? Who's bringing this knowledge forward? How do the power relations present impact my results? How? Why do I need to think about scale? Am I using reflexivity in this research? How has history impacted where we are? Am I applying social justice principles? Am I promoting and/or furthering equity in the research that I'm doing? How does resilience and resistance impact the work that's being done?

3. 

   2 Dec 2025

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

   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 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. 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. 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. Contributors Co-Producers & Hosts: Dr. Laine Young (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineyoung/) & Dr. Charlie Spring  (https://www.sams.ac.uk/people/researchers/spring-dr-charlotte/) Sound Design & Editing: Laine Young Guests Dr. Lauren Kepkiewicz Avni Soma Syma Habib Jun Cacayuran Melissa West Morrison Dr. Tatenda Mambo Support & Funding SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (Lauren Kepkiewicz, Marit Rosol, Elizabeth Vibert, Eric Holt-Gimenez, and Charlie Spring) Wilfrid Laurier University The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Balsillie School for International Affairs Music Credits Keenan Reimer-Watts Resources Filipino Organization in the Rocky Mountains (FORM) Kepkiewicz, L. & Cacayuran, J. (2022). Bringing ayuda and bayanihan to the Rockies. Mountain Life, Rocky Mountain, pp. 30. Moving Beyond Acknowledgments- LSPIRG Whose Land Connect with Us: Email: Handpickedpodcast@wlu.ca LinkedIn: Handpicked: Stories from the Field Podcast Facebook: Handpicked Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/HandpickedPodcast/)

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