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