On this episode of The Road Home, journalist Simran Sethi joins Ethan Nichtern for a conversation about her work with environmentalism and agricultural biodiversity.
Simran Sethi is a journalist and educator focused on food, sustainability and social change. She has written for outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Guernica and The Guardian. Simran is the author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love. Learn more about her at simransethi.com.
The Accidental Journalist
Ethan welcomes Simran to the show as they chat about her background with meditation, and the accidental ways she became involved with journalism and environmentalism. Simran talks about her interest in food, and how that evolved into her book.
“It’s really, for me, about empowering eaters to participate in the preservation of biodiversity, because this belongs to all of us and it’s informed by all of us everyday.” – Simran Sethi
Bread, Wine, Chocolate (12:57)
What does eating mindfully mean in this day and age? Ethan and Simran discuss her book on the loss of agricultural biodiversity. They talk about how the message of environmentalism needs emotional resonance, whether it’s a positive or negative narrative being used.
“My goal is inspiring somebody to make a different set of decisions around how they purchase and consume food.” – Simran Sethi
Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, and Jack Kornfield discuss mindfulness and food on Here and Now Ep. 104
Fast and Mindful (37:24)
Ethan and Simran continue their conversation about the loss of biodiversity, and how it’s deeply connected to the issue of wealth inequality. Simran talks about how change needs to come fast, but also mindfully. It’s an urgent issue, but we can’t get overwhelmed and give up hope.
“Fundamentally, I think the most important thing is to frame these challenges as belonging to all of us.” – Simran Sethi
