EPISODE · Jun 9, 2026 · 1H 13M
Pam Koch: Joan Gussow’s Nutritional Ecology Legacy
from Real Organic Podcast · host Real Organic Project
#280 Pam Koch reflects on what she learned from Joan Gussow, how Nutritional Ecology changed the way students think about food, and why Joan’s ideas feel even more urgent now. Moving from the history of nutrition science and the limits of reductionist research to the failures of conventional agriculture and the false promise of techno-fixes, Pam shares Joan's belief that real organic food offers a better path for both people and the planet. https://realorganicproject.org/pam-koch-joan-gussow-nutritional-ecology-legacy The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince. The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations). To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit: https://www.realorganicproject.org/directory We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront. To read our weekly newsletter and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here: https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/
What this episode covers
#280 Pam Koch reflects on what she learned from Joan Gussow, how Nutritional Ecology changed the way students think about food, and why Joan’s ideas feel even more urgent now. Moving from the history of nutrition science and the limits of reductionist research to the failures of conventional agriculture and the false promise of techno-fixes, Pam shares Joan's belief that real organic food offers a better path for both people and the planet. https://realorganicproject.org/pam-koch-joan-gussow-nutritional-ecology-legacy The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince. The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations). To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit: https://www.realorganicproject.org/directory We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront. To read our weekly newsletter and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here: https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/
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Pam Koch: Joan Gussow’s Nutritional Ecology Legacy
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