In Our Backyard Podcast

Carlton Turner is the Co-Director / Co-Founder at Sipp Culture. Based in the rural South, “Sipp Culture” is honoring the history and building the future of their community in Utica, MS.  Sipp Culture supports community development from the ground up through cultural production focused on self-determination and agency designed by them and for them. They believe that history, culture, and food affirm their individual and collective humanity. So, they are strengthening our local food system, advancing health equity, and supporting rural artistic voices – while activating the power of story – all to promote the legacy and vision of our hometown. With Carlton we talk about SIPPs mission, current projects and the significance of land, stories, and local food.

Erica Hall is Executive Director and Board Chair at Florida Food Policy Council. Executive Committee Member of the Sierra Club, Florida Chapter. As well as a National Board of Director Member of the National Sierra Club.  The Florida Food Policy Council (FLFPC) works to address gaps and affect policy within the food system through integrity and collaboration for the benefit of all Floridians and the environment.  Food Policy Councils (FPCs) provide a unique forum for diverse stakeholders to come together and address common concerns regarding food policy including food systems, food security, farm policy, food regulations, health, and nutrition. Stakeholders include people such as farmers, city and state officials, non-profit organizations, chefs, food distributors, food justice advocates, educators, health professionals, and concerned citizens.  With Erica, we talk about the intersections of her work, challenges in the food systems today, the importance of land, urban agriculture, and their impact in the community. Erica also mentions the Farm Bill, which urgently needs support.  Contact: https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/ [https://flfpc.wildapricot.org/]  Farm Bill: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-bill/index [https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-bill/index]

Hi everyone, we’re back with Debbie Clemens who is with the Outreach Coordinator for Orangutan Outreach. In this episode we talk all about palm oil and its effects. The sourcing of palm oil causes conflict because it has been produced illegally or under conditions associated with labor or human rights violations, ongoing destruction of rainforests, or expansion on carbon-rich peatlands.   One of the most pressing concerns associated with Palm Oil is its environmental impact. The expansion of palm oil plantations has been linked to deforestation, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss. In many cases, pristine rainforests are cleared to make way for these plantations, leading to the loss of critical habitat for endangered species like orangutans, tigers, and rhinoceroses. Deforestation also contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With Debbie we talk about what palm oil is, where you can commonly find it, the ethics around it, and more. Contact and connect with Debbie: deb@redapes.org [deb@redapes.org]  https://redapes.org/ [https://redapes.org/]   https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/ [https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/]

In this episode I continue my conversation with Debbie Clemens who is the Outreach Coordinator for Orangutan Outreach. We talk about the behind the scenes work that goes into making field work possible for these creatures. Tune in for the last episode of the series in two weeks. Contact and connect with Debbie: deb@redapes.org [deb@redapes.org]  https://redapes.org/ [https://redapes.org/]   https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/ [https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/]

Debbie Clemens is the Outreach Coordinator for Orangutan Outreach. They are a US based charity that focuses on raising awareness and raising funds for their partners in Indonesia. They are personally not doing the orangutan rescue and rehabilitation work themselves, but are supporting those who are.  Mankind may be one of the orangutans' closest relatives but humans are also the greatest threat to the orangutans' survival. Clear cutting, forest fires and hunting are reducing orangutan numbers to alarmingly low levels. Never before has their very existence been threatened so severely. Orangutans used to live in many different parts of Southeast Asia, but the places where they can thrive and find food are quickly vanishing. In Borneo and Sumatra, their last remaining homes, large parts of the old growth rainforest are gone, ripped up for farmland, palm oil plantations and urban development. And the precious little forest that is left is disappearing rapidly as palm oil companies continue to illegally clearcut enormous areas of forest. With Debbie we talk about the behind the scenes work that goes into making field work possible for these creatures. Although we ultimately talk about how saving  orangutans is actually saving ourselves. This is a three part series so - look out for the next episodes in the coming weeks. Contact and connect with Debbie: deb@redapes.org [deb@redapes.org]  https://redapes.org/ [https://redapes.org/]   https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/ [https://palmdoneright.com/what-is-conflict-palm-oil/]