563. $127 Million in USDA Grants Restored, Nigeria's Hunger Crisis Deepens, and a Conversation with Vijay Kumar Thallam on a 'Simple but Profound' Farming Solution Spreading Around the World

563. $127 Million in USDA Grants Restored, Nigeria's Hunger Crisis Deepens, and a Conversation with Vijay Kumar Thallam on a 'Simple but Profound' Farming Solution Spreading Around the World

July 9, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

Dani Nierenberg discusses agriculture, hunger crises, and women's empowerment with guest Vijay Kumar Thallam.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Vijay Kumar Thallam, Executive Vice Chair of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (the Farmer Empowerment Organisation). They discuss the conventional agriculture practices based on outdated science, the growth of one of the world's largest agroecology projects, and the women central to the initiative's success. Plus, India acts to empower women farmers, a judge orders USDA to restore millions in land- access grants for producers, Nigeria's hunger crisis worsens, plant-forward food procurement offers the EU €11.6 billion in returns, and a new home for reliable climate data replaces the platform shuttered by the Trump Administration last year. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

People in this episode

Host: Dani Nierenberg

Guest: Vijay Kumar Thallam

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, USDA, EU

Places: India, Nigeria

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