Oh Crop! a Food Systems Podcast
by Kat Morgan
Welcome to Oh Crop!, the food systems podcast serving up conversations at the intersection of food equity, climate change, and public health. Join host Kat Morgan, MPH, for conversations with leading researchers, farmers, activists, and changemakers who are reimagining how we grow, distribute, and think about food. We dig into the root causes of our food system's biggest challenges and spotlight the innovative solutions sprouting around the world. Whether you're a sustainability professional, climate advocate, or simply someone who eats—there's something here for you.
Episodes
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E27: Plant Diversity and Food Equity at Oak Spring Garden Foundation – Dr. Peter Crane and Christine Harris
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH, sits down with Dr. Peter Crane — President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation and former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — and Christine Harris, Director of Oak Spring’s Rokeby Farm. Recorded on the foundation’s 700-acre landscape in...
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E26: Dr. Alex McAlvay on Crop Mixtures and the Ancient Roots of Climate Resilience
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down — live at the New York Botanical Garden — with Dr. Alex McAlvey, Assistant Curator at the Garden's Center for Plants, People, and Culture. Alex draws on his background in cropping systems, wild crop relatives, and wild edible plants to…
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E25: Andy Jarvis on Bezos Earth Fund's $1B Commitment to Food Systems Transformation
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with Dr. Andy Jarvis — Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. Andy reflects on over two decades of work at the intersection of food security and environmental sustainability, and how that experience has shaped his present…
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E24: Inside Bioversity International & CIAT – Marcela Quintero & Carlo Fada on Agrobiodiversity in Food Systems
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan records from Palmira, Colombia at the research campus of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT—one of the world’s leading hubs for agrobiodiversity, seed conservation, and food systems innovation. Kat is joined by Dr. Marcela Quintero...
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E23: Inside WorldVeg – Maarten van Zonneveld & Lukas Pawera on Securing Vegetable Diversity
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down in Tainan, Taiwan with Dr. Maarten van Zonneveld (Head of Genetic Resource) and Dr. Lucas Pawera (Agronomist/Agroecologist) from the World Vegetable Center to discuss the critical role of gene banks in conserving vegetable biodiversity, the...
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E22: Jean-Claude Rubyogo on Transforming Lives Through Bean Research, Nutrition, and Seed Systems
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH speaks with Dr. Jean-Claude Rubyogo, Director of the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), to explore the powerful — and often underestimated — role beans play in shaping nutrition, livelihoods, and resilience across African food systems....
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E21: Dr. Cary Fowler on International Security and the Future of Food
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Dr. Cary Fowler—the 2024 World Food Prize Laureate, former U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, and widely known as the architect of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Recorded during his tenure launching the Food Security...
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E20: Dr. Stefan Schmitz on The Crop Trust's Mission From Seed to Fork
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,...
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E19: Meli Bees on Indigenous Wisdom and Community Stewardship to Cultivate Climate Action
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...
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E18: Monika Shukla on Bee-ing the Change | The Humble Bee
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…
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E17: World Food Programme's Andreia Fausto on Somali Food System Transformation
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...
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E16: World Food Prize Laureate Catherine Bertini on Starting From Scratch to Change Global Food Aid
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...
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E15: Dr. Million Belay "Food is Not a Commodity" & African Food Sovereignty
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...
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E14: Dr. Jessica Fanzo on The Food for Humanity Initiative & the Next Generation of Changemakers
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...
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E13: Big Chicken Author Maryn McKenna on the Bird Flu Crisis
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...
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E12. "Chief Beans Officer" Paul Newnham on Beans are the Future
Will we eat beans in space? Why do they give us gas (and how can we reduce it)? And just why are beans so darn awesome for people and planet, anyway? On this episode of Oh Crop!, we're diving deep into the world of legumes with none other than Paul Newnham, a strategic food systems innovator,...
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E11. Priyanka Naik: Vegan Celebrity Chef on Championing Food Justice and Sustainability
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan sits down with the inspiring Priyanka Naik, an award-winning vegan chef, Food Network champion, TV host, and author of The Modern Tiffin. Priyanka shares her journey as a first-generation Indian-American raised on Staten Island and how her Indian...
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E10. "Spice Queen" Matilda Mtei’s Role in Revolutionizing Agriculture at the World Vegetable Center Eastern and Southern Africa Headquarters
In this episode of Oh Crop, host Kat Morgan chats with Matilda Jarod Mtei, a trailblazer in horticulture and agriculture from Arusha, Tanzania. Known as the "Spice Queen," Matilda brings a unique perspective to the field, having turned her passion for plants into a remarkable career. From her…
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E9. "Bug Ninja" Eric Middleton on Eco-Conscious Pest Control and Environmental Justice
In this episode, I’m thrilled to interview Eric Middleton, "full-time entomologist, part-time ninja warrior." He is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension. With a B.S. in Biology from the University of Utah, a PhD from the University of...
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E8. Raj Patel on Civil Society, Regenerative Agriculture, and Public Health
In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan is joined by renowned author, filmmaker, and academic Raj Patel. Raj Patel, known as the 'rock star of social justice writing,' shares insights drawn from his extensive work, including his seminal books 'Stuffed and Starved' and ‘Inflamed.’ From...
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E7. Lew Ziska on the Nexus of Climate Change, Food, and Public Health
Welcome to Oh Crop, where we dig deep into the connections between Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and Food Systems. Join me, Kat Morgan, as I sit down with the brilliant Dr. Lew Ziska, associate professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. We'll explore the dynamic...
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E6. Mark Plotkin on Bridging Knowledge Systems, Environmental Justice, and Our Planet's Future
In this episode of "Oh Crop," host Kat Morgan engages Dr. Mark Plotkin, an esteemed ethnobotanist, in a profound conversation about the vital role of indigenous wisdom in environmental conservation. They explore how environmental justice intersects with indigenous knowledge and the urgent need…
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E5. Alejandra Schrader on Food Activism for Human and Planetary Health
This episode explores the journey of a guest who is passionate about promoting healthy diets, equity, and sustainability in food systems. Alejandra Schrader is an award-winning author, food systems champion, plant-based nutrition certified chef, and activist based in Los Angeles, CA. We discuss…
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E4. Michael Kotutwa Johnson on Traditional Ecological Knowledge
In this podcast episode, Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a member of the Hopi Tribe, discusses the challenges Indigenous communities face regarding their food systems due to climate change. He emphasizes the importance of traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices in building resilience and...
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E3. Guided Visualization Exercise
In today's episode, I’ll lead you through a short guided visualization exercise as a tool for agenda-setting to foster empathy and generate a shared vision for nourishing food systems.
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E1. Connecting the Dots
Episode 1 covers Background, Theory, and Tools to understand the interconnections between climate change, food systems, and environmental justice. This episode discusses: Climate change, environmental justice, and food systems are all closely tied to public health. Climate change is causing…
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E2. Mark Bittman on Food Systems & Environmental Justice
In Episode 2, I'm thrilled to share a conversation with Mark Bittman about his work as a New York Times editor, bestselling author, food justice advocate, and lecturer at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. We chat about the following: Exploring the nexus between climate...
About this show
Welcome to Oh Crop!, the food systems podcast serving up conversations at the intersection of food equity, climate change, and public health. Join host Kat Morgan, MPH, for conversations with leading researchers, farmers, activists, and changemakers who are reimagining how we grow, distribute, and think about food. We dig into the root causes of our food system's biggest challenges and spotlight the innovative solutions sprouting around the world. Whether you're a sustainability professional, climate advocate, or simply someone who eats—there's something here for you.
Hosted by
Kat Morgan