This episode of Oh Crop! features a conversation between host Kat Morgan and Dr. Stefan Schmitz, who is the Executive Director of the Crop Trust. Recorded during New York Climate Week 2025, the discussion centers on the imperative role of crop diversity in securing the future of our food system, connecting the historical globalization of food, where major crops originated far from where they are now grown, to the present-day risks of over-relying on a narrow selection of staple crops.

Dr. Schmitz champions agrobiodiversity and the shift toward using neglected crops as a strategic solution to build resilience against climate change, address nutritional deficiencies, and ensure healthier diets. He makes a compelling, concise case for global financial commitment to conservation, noting that a one-time investment to secure all global crop diversity is a mere fraction of the funds currently misdirected through agricultural subsidies. Ultimately, the conversation offers hope, looking to advances in life and data science to unlock the full potential of conserved genetic resources to future-proof our food supply.

Read about the Crop Trust Here

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Ana Rosa de Lima and Ivi Pauli, PhD, from the Meli Bees Network.

This woman-led global organization connects over 100 indigenous and local communities with the resources and partners they need to regenerate their environments and strengthen their territories.

Anna, the director and founder, shares how her indigenous heritage and experience in the Amazon guide her work, while biologist Ivi Pauli discusses weaving indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge at Meli. The episode also explores how the name "Meli Bees" is a nod to the stingless bees (meliponines), which serve as a perfect inspiration for their work in creating both social and environmental impact. The conversation reveals how the network, built on trust, supports communities to lead their own climate solutions, such as community-led agroforestry projects and meliponiculture, which involves the production of stingless bees for medicinal and food consumption, as well as environmental conservation.

To learn more about the Meli Bees Network, visit their website at https://www.meli-bees.org/.

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with Monika Shukla, the visionary co-founder and CEO of Humble Bee, a social enterprise revolutionizing beekeeping in rural India.

Monika shares her inspiring journey and vision to empower smallholder farmers and women through a powerful social enterprise model. The conversation highlights how the introduction of a beehive fundamentally changes a farmer's life, not just by providing an additional income stream but also by increasing land productivity and empowering women with a new leadership role.

This episode explores the often-overlooked connection between pollinators and a resilient global food future. You will also learn why investing in bees is a crucial part of our shared food future and the surprising truth about honey as a functional food.

To learn more about Humble Bee, visit their website here.

In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with Andreia Fausto, Head of Climate Smart Food Systems at the World Food Programme in Somalia, broadcasting from Mogadishu.

The conversation reveals fascinating innovations emerging across Somalia's diverse ecological zones: agroecological practices that communities "already had before," solar-powered irrigation systems, and cooperatives where women make key business decisions. Andreia shares her observations from extensive field time, noting that "communities are not waiting—they are really trying to design their own futures by themselves."

But questions remain about sustainability, scale, and long-term impact. As Andreia puts it: "Food security isn't just about the calories. It's about who grows the food, how it's produced, who controls the system." This episode offers a practitioner's perspective on the complex realities of working at the intersection of humanitarian response and community-led development.

Learn more:

• Somalia | World Food Programme

• Somalia Annual Country Report 2024

  - Read about Farm2Go

  
  

In this timely episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with Catherine Bertini, the 2003 World Food Prize Laureate and former UN World Food Program Executive Director, to discuss the unprecedented crisis facing global food aid. With a staggering $16.9 billion funding gap threatening 123 million vulnerable people, Catherine shares her bold vision for completely reimagining how the world addresses hunger. Drawing from her 20+ years of experience and her "eureka moment" about women's central role in food security, she argues it's time to start from scratch and build a system fit for 2025—not 1945. This conversation offers both sobering realities and inspiring possibilities for anyone who cares about ending hunger. As Catherine powerfully reminds us: when your issue becomes prominent, pounce!

Visit CatherineBertini.com

Read Reimagining Global Governance for Food Security

Read Leading Change for UN Organizations

In this episode, Dr. Million Belay discusses research he coordinated across Africa examining agricultural approaches. "In 2013, we asked ourselves, does agroecology work for Africa?" he explains, describing how they gathered and synthesized case studies from numerous countries. Their findings revealed that ecological farming practices consistently improved both productivity and farmer income while supporting environmental health.

Million's declaration that "food is not a commodity" cuts to the heart of the matter. "Food is culturally appropriate. Farmers control their own economy," he insists. This vision—emerging from social movements like La Via Campesina—represents a fundamentally different relationship with food systems.

Through our conversation, Million reveals how African farmers are developing agroecological innovations that honor Traditional Ecological Knowledge while building climate resilience, demonstrating how community-controlled agriculture offers the true path to food sovereignty.

Million Belay is a member of the IPES-Food panel; co-founder and general coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) – a network of farmers’ organizations, NGO networks, consumer movements and small-scale producers advocating for agroecology, food sovereignty, and the rights of small-scale food producers in Africa; and he is an expert on forestry conservation, indigenous livelihoods and food and seed sovereignty.

• About Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa
• Case Studies of Agroecology
• La Via Campesina

In this thought-provoking episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan welcomes Dr. Jessica Fanzo, a true pioneer at the crossroads of climate science and food systems. As Professor of Climate and Director of the groundbreaking Food for Humanity Initiative at Columbia Climate School, Dr. Fanzo shares her fascinating journey from nutrition scientist to global food systems champion. She unpacks the vision behind the Food for Humanity Initiative and reveals how it's bringing together diverse experts to tackle our most pressing food challenges.

The conversation explores the complex dual role food systems play in the climate crisis—both as significant contributors to global emissions and as potential game-changers for climate resilience. Dr. Fanzo offers candid insights about the critical shifts needed to transform how we produce and consume food while addressing deep-rooted inequities.

Despite the enormity of these challenges, the episode concludes with Dr. Fanzo's compelling perspective on what gives her hope for the future as we approach 2030 and beyond, highlighting the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven solutions.

Read more about Jess

Read: What do we know about the future of measuring food systems?

Check out the Food Systems Dashboard

Investigate Columbia University's Food for Humanity Initiative

Is Bird Flu a Slow-Motion Disaster? How can industrial agriculture fuel a pandemic, and what risks do dairy workers face? On this episode of Oh Crop!, we're tackling the urgent bird flu crisis with award-winning journalist and public health expert Maryn McKenna. Maryn unravels the complex web of industrial agriculture, zoonotic diseases, and the escalating threat to animal and human health.

We delve into the realities of the current U.S. bird flu outbreak, exploring how intensive farming practices contribute to its rapid spread and evolution. Maryn sheds light on the often-overlooked risks agricultural workers face, particularly in the dairy industry, and examines animal welfare and biosecurity. Plus, we address the critical need for improved surveillance and testing systems and discuss the economic pressures that hinder effective health responses.

Maryn also highlights the challenges of public health communication, especially in vulnerable communities, and emphasizes the urgent need for increased research funding to understand and combat agricultural health threats. We touch on the cultural complexities surrounding meat consumption and explore the systemic changes required to prevent the spread of zoonotic disease.

Tune in for the down-low on Maryn's most recent New York Times-published Op-Ed, "We're running out of chances to stop bird flu."

Learn more at marynmckenna.com