Episode 110: Professor Silvia Secchi and Iowa’s Industrial Agriculture
The Checkout speaks with Dr. Silvia Secchi about industrial agriculture in Iowa and building a better food system.
Dr. Silvia Secchi is a Professor in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences at the University of Iowa. Her work focuses on the interface between agriculture and the environment, including conservation policy, biofuels, water quality, floodplain management, and invasive species. She is a natural resource economist by training, and her work typically combines methodologies from the social sciences, the natural sciences and engineering. Dr. Secchi is also a co-host of the We All Want Clean Water podcast, where experts address science and policy challenges of the Corn Belt’s agricultural system.
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Episode #110 Notes
1:00 - What is your area of study and research?
9:20 - On the farming sector in Iowa.
13:30 - On farm subsidies.
17:40 - On the ethanol industry.
23:00 - On producing for feed for factory farming and resulting externalities.
32:00 - The role of policy in changing conventional agricultural practices in Iowa.
38:00 - On farm workers in Iowa.
40:30 - On President Biden’s plan to take on the consolidated meat industry.
44:00 - On reforming the USDA to better serve non-conventional interests.
50:00 - What would a climate friendly, safe food system look like in Iowa?
54:00 - Recommended readings:
