Slow food, steady change

Brian Thomson

This is Farms. Food. Future. – a podcast that’s Good for You, Good for the Planet, and Good for Farmers. Brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Welcome to Episode 88 - I’m Brian Thomson.

Michelle Tang

And co-presenting this edition, I’m Michelle Tang.

Brian

This morning, I decided to treat myself and popped into a little bakery here in Rome.

Michelle

Oh yeah?

Brian

One of those places that makes you stop mid-bite and wonder how they get it just right.

Michelle

That sounds amazing…

Brian

It was. And fittingly, today we have Chef Ana Villota from María Cocina y Panadería as our first guest on the podcast. I’m hoping she might reveal a few of her secrets…

Michelle

Me too. Because Ana is known for her incredible baking, with flavours inspired by her journey from Ecuador to Canada. She’s all about slow food, zero waste and sustainability.

Brian

She’s also our newest Recipes for Change chef – and we’ll hear more about that shortly.

Michelle

Meanwhile, food systems are front and centre this week at the Food System Summer Forum, where leaders, innovators and farmers are gathering to talk about how we grow, cook and share food in a changing world.

Brian

One voice in those conversations is IFAD Goodwill Ambassador Sabrina Elba.

Michelle

She spoke about what she’s seen on the ground – from Kenya to Zambia – and why adaptation, especially for small-scale farmers, can’t be left out of the climate conversation.

Brian

We’ll hear that interview, courtesy of “Talking Foreign Affairs”, and then wrap up with a conversation with the show’s host, Adil Cader, who’s helping bring these global stories to life.

Michelle

As always, we want to hear from you – what you think about our stories and who you want us to be talking to – so please get in touch with us at podcasts@ifad.org.

Brian

You can also subscribe to this podcast via your favourite podcast platform and please don’t forget to rate us.

Michelle

Coming up, let’s meet Pallab Chakma from Bangladesh.

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Brian

You’re listening to Farms. Food. Future. with me Brian Thomson and Michelle Tang. Today, we’re starting things off with someone who knows her way around sourdough, cassava – and a community kitchen.

Michelle

That’s Ana Villota – the chef behind María Cocina y Panadería. She was born in Ecuador, raised in Canada, and now based in Bogotá.

Brian

Her food is a mix of cultures and causes – bringing together traditional techniques with a modern commitment to zero waste and sustainable cooking.

Michelle

She also runs culinary workshops for kids and families, supports migrants through food, and believes in sharing knowledge as much as recipes.

Brian

Now, she’s joined IFAD’s Recipes for Change campaign, which connects chefs with the small-scale farmers behind the ingredients – and the climate challenges they face.

Michelle

Ana spoke to our reporter Kat Velastegui about what it means to cook with care, how fermentation fits into food justice, and what she’s learning from farmers.

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Kat Velastegui

 

Ana Villota

Ana

Kat

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Michelle

Thank you, Ana and Kat. If you want to try Ana’s zero-waste recipes or find out more about Recipes for Change, head to https://www.ifad.org/en/recipes-for-change and visit her Instagram page @mariacocinaypanaderia.

Brian

And don't forget to check out also our latest episodes!

In episode 85 we explore extreme climates – from Mongolia with IFAD’s Recipes for Change chef Si King to South Africa with award-winning pomegranate farmer activist Jack Lewis.

Michelle

Then in episode 86 we tell you all about what’s next for development finance.

Brian

And in episode 87 you can check out our series Life Stories, with personal journeys from those shaping the future of farming, this time in Bangladesh and Colombia.

Michelle

Up now, we hear from IFAD Goodwill Ambassador Sabrina Elba on “Talking Foreign Affairs”.

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Michelle

You’re listening to episode 88 of Farms. Food. Future. with me Michelle Tang and Brian Thomson. From the kitchen to the climate frontline – now we turn to Sabrina Elba, IFAD Goodwill Ambassador and tireless advocate for small-scale farmers.

Brian

Alongside her work as a model, entrepreneur and activist, Sabrina has spent the past few years visiting farming communities across Africa – listening, learning, and helping spotlight the people behind the food we eat.

Michelle

Recently, she joined Talking Foreign Affairs to reflect on what she’s seen – from regenerative farming in Kenya to resilience-building in Zambia – and why small-scale farmers need a seat at the climate table.

Brian

Let’s have a listen to the interview, co-hosted by Adil Cader and Katelyn Persich from the United Nations Associations of Australia’s Young Professional Network.

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Adil Cader

Katelyn Persich

Sabrina Elba

Adil

Katelyn

Sabrina

 

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Michelle

Thank you Sabrina, Adil and Katelyn. We wanted to hear more from the voice behind “Talking Foreign Affairs”. So up next – Adil Cader joins us to talk about youth and the diplomacy of dialogue.

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Brian

You’re listening to Farms. Food. Future. with me Brian Thomson, and Michelle Tang. You just heard Sabrina Elba on “Talking Foreign Affairs”. Now we’re joined by the host of that show – Adil Cader.

Michelle

He’s a foreign policy analyst and youth diplomat who’s interviewed leaders, changemakers, and global advocates from across the world.

Brian

Adil is also the founder of the Goodwill Ambassadors Series – a project created in partnership with the United Nations Association of Australia’s Young Professionals Network.

Michelle

It’s all about sharing the voices of UN Ambassadors doing impactful work on the ground.

Brian

We spoke to him about his podcast, why youth-led dialogue matters, and what he’s learned from talking foreign affairs.

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Rosa González

Hello Adil and welcome to Farms. Food. Future.

Adil Cader

Thank you. It's a real pleasure to be here. Really appreciate the work that you and IFAD does.

Rosa

Thank you very much. So, Talking Foreign Affairs features conversations with world leaders on some of today’s most pressing issues. What first inspired you to start the platform — and where do you hope to take it next?

Adil

its starting was back in late: 2020

Rosa

That’s fantastic. And speaking of Sabrina — we just listened to your interview with her. What stood out to you most from that conversation?

Adil

What really stuck out for Sabrina Elba, well not just Sabrina in general, but generally with IFAD is, she demonstrates authenticity. It's very easy for someone to claim that they have an interest in a topic. It's another one for someone to have lived it. So, in our interview, we asked Sabrina specifically why she was interested in this position, and she very clearly stated that she was a first generation Somali in Canada. She had a connection to an African mother and that even though she was living in Canada, she still had a connection to the roots and some of the connection to the issues of food security through her family connections. One thing that really stood out for me is when she said, when she sees rural people in the South, she sees herself. So, this is firstly someone that has an authentic connection to the issue.

The second as well is that she understood specific policy challenges. Very often people will give very broad statements on why a topics’ important, but what really stood out for us with Sabrina is that she understood specific policy issues and why that had an impact on her visits in Kenya.

The third is as well, and this is one of the major hurdles that a lot of goodwill ambassadors face, a lot of the programmes face around the world, not just in the UN, but whether it's with other NGOs, is highlighting issues of people on the ground. A lot of the times when the ambassador programs are formed or celebrity advocacy programmes that form. One of the downfalls is that the focus is on the celebrity going and giving the message, not so much on some of the structural challenges on the ground. In a lot of the articles that Sabrina has done, a lot of the interviews she's done ever since, she has a very specific focus on some of the stories. So, one key story she talks about is the story of Dionisia and the weather Forecaster. Another key one is Njukiri Village and the wildlife fence. There's a very specific focus on the people she's met and advocating their story rather than talking about herself.

One other aspect as well, which we didn't cover in the interview, but which I think is really worth noting, is she's also used her knowledge and skills to lobby world leaders for funding. By using her position to do this, she's also just shown to the wider population that you don't need to be a politician to change. If you have got a good following in whatever you do, whether you're an athlete, an actor, as CEO, you can use that following for good advantage. And that's something we hope people can see from this, is that if you've got a good following, whatever you do and you've got a passion for a specific cause, you're free to use that. And it's really good, people like showing many young people that to enact change, you don't need to be a politician.

The general principles of what makes a good goodwill ambassador are three factors. One is global reach. The second is a sense of purpose. So having a connection to the issue is needed as well. And the third factor that's also needed is an ability to interact with high level officials. So, for example, Sabrina is somebody who goes to the Global Citizen conferences, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and using that relationship to interact with heads of state, celebrities, heads of states actually do sometimes really appreciate what celebrities can bring in terms of influence, in terms of approval. They really humanize diplomacy. If it's a head of state talking about an issue, there's usually a bit of layers between, say, the common public, young people and what the head of state is saying, whether it's the president or the head of a major body. But for example, if it's a celebrity, for example, Billie Eilish is very passionate about environmental awareness. She does a lot of stories where she talks authentically on her Instagram Live feeds on that. So, it breaks down a barrier between those advocates and their followers, and it gives more of the human impact to that. And that's one other thing as well, is that given how global some of these celebrities are, it's not like a head of state who's a president or a prime minister of a specific country. A famous singer, or a famous athlete has followers around the world, regardless of what country they come from. It just enables to break down that barrier and build a global influence around the message that is spreading, whether it's environmental awareness or food security.

Rosa

That's very interesting and very true. And beyond raising awareness, as you've seen in your interviews, what strategies have leaders found most effective in tackling agriculture, climate change, and rural poverty?

Adil

It's a really, really interesting question because some of the times there's different aspects. You mentioned agriculture, climate change and rural poverty to be seen in isolation. There's been quite a few, but if I had to highlight some of them, one would be microfinance. One of the key people for that would obviously be Muhammad Yunus, the former Nobel Prize winner for his work on Grameen Bank, who's now the chief adviser of Bangladesh. To his vision, he was able to create a way of ensuring that the centre of commerce was in the city centres, but more as well in the villages.

I think one other key example we’ve gone through with some of our interviews is climate smart agriculture. There's always this dilemma between, okay, do we ought to try and advocate for something that's climate smart? Is that going to have an issue in agriculture productivity? And a lot of the time people fall into the trap of thinking you've either got to prioritize one or the other – economic efficiency or something that's climate smart. Climate smart agriculture, such as programmes like Regreening Africa and Kenya, demonstrate that that is possible. And we are very keen as well to share that and that you can get the balance right between the both of them. And that's something else we're very keen to show is promoting something that's sustainable, green doesn't mean that it's going to be a hit on the economy.

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Michelle

Thank you Adil and Rosa.

Brian

And that brings us to the end of this episode.

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Brian

Thanks as always to our producers and editor here in Rome, Rosa González, Francesco Manetti, Francesca Primavilla, and to our reporter Kat Velastegui.

Michelle

But most of all thanks to you for listening to this episode of Farms. Food. Future. brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Brian

We’ll be back in two weeks for a Youth Day special all about young people shaking things up with big ideas and global teamwork.

Michelle

And on the fourth Monday in August, we bring you all things food, just to keep you hungry for more.

Brian and Michelle

Stay tuned!

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Brian

 

This is Farms. Food. Future. – a podcast that’s Good for you, Good for the Planet, and Good for Farmers.  Brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.     

 

You can find out more about all of our stories at www.ifad.org/podcasts  

 

Remember we want to hear from you – what you think about our stories and who you want us to be talking to – so please get in touch at podcasts@ifad.org. Send us your voice or text messages to this address and we'll be happy to play you out in the next show.   

 

Also, don't forget to subscribe to this podcast via your favourite podcast platform and please rate us.  

 

And once again, we'll be trying to be Good for you, Good for the Planet, and Good for Farmers.  Brought to you by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.     

 

Until then from me, Brian Thomson, and the team here at IFAD.  

 

Thanks for listening.