Will Potter

Will Potter

From Point of Inquiry by Center for Inquiry

June 23, 2025 · 53 min

About this episode

Jim speaks with investigative journalist Will Potter about the truths behind food production and the cover-ups by food producers.

A century and a half ago, one out of every five Americans lived on a farm. Today, it's closer to one out of every fifty, even though the population has increased more than tenfold. The industrial-scale farm and livestock business that we depend on today feeds hundreds of millions every day, but at what cost? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim speaks with investigative journalist and author Will Potter, whose book Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth from Farm to Fable uncovers some disturbing truths about the conditions under which our food is produced. Worse yet, the book describes the systematic campaign by food producers to cover up its abuses, a spin a false narrative about how our groceries get to our tables. Will Potter is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has focused on social justice and environmental movements, and attacks on civil rights post-9/11. His other book is Green Is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege .

People in this episode

Host: Jim

Guest: Will Potter

Topics covered

  • food production
  • industrial farming
  • social justice
  • environmental movements
  • civil rights

Keywords

  • food production
  • industrial farming
  • Will Potter
  • social justice
  • environmental movements

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Inquiry

Books & works: Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth from Farm to Fable, Green Is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege

Places: America

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