Conflict of interest policy
Because the ethical issues involved with accepting paying work at conferences and events are paramount to my disinterestedness as a journalist, I've consulted with experts in media ethics, including Kelly McBride (at Poynter, and the author of The New Ethics of Journalism: Principles for the 21st Century) and Caesar Andrews (distinguished professor of ethics and writing at the University of Nevada, Reno) to craft guidelines about accepting speaking invitations.
My guidelines consist of two basic criteria. First is that the event has to be consistent with my public mission, which is to have more constructive debates about food issues. Second is that, if for-profit companies are involved in the event (as they are in most conferences I've been to that are put on by universities and non-profits), they can't be the only voice. So, I would speak at a conference co-sponsored by, say, Bayer and the USDA and NC State University, but not an event sponsored by Bayer alone. I don’t speak at industry events, and I'm employed by the university or non-profit sponsoring the conference, but since the funding is fungible, I think journalists have to acknowledge all the sponsors in those situations. The key, for me, is that for-profit interests are counterbalanced by academic, scientific, NGO, activist, and/or governmental participants.
My objective is to get people with very different views in the same room. If the topic is animal welfare, I want an activist to talk with someone from the pork industry. If it's obesity, I want a public health official and someone from Big Food. I always list my speaking engagements right here (below), in the interest of transparency.
After spending several years writing about these issues, I believe that face-to-face meetings often have more potential for constructive engagement than journalism does. Facts don't persuade people as much as people persuade people, and I'm convinced that the way to tone down rhetoric, find common ground, and, ultimately, make progress on food issues is one person at a time, one meeting at a time, face to face.
This is a complete list of the speaking engagements for which I have accepted travel expenses and/or honoraria (unless otherwise noted).
2022:
University of King’s College (Feb. 17)
Lecture to a class in the school of journalism
Aspen Ideas: Climate (Miami Beach, May 11)
I was on a panel about climate-friendly diets. The Aspen Institute is a non-profit funded by a variety of philanthropic, corporate, and government donors.
The Breakthrough Institute (June 22-24)
The Breakthrough Institute is a think tank that focuses on the problem of climate change and how technological solutions can help address it. I moderated a panel about diet and climate
The Center for Inquiry (August 18)
CFI is a nonprofit fighting pseudoscience (publisher of the Skeptical Inquirer). I gave a talk on mind-changing.
The Nature Conservancy (Sep. 22)
TNC is a nonprofit focused on protecting the environment and tackling climate change. I moderated a dinner discussion about climate and diet.
2019:
FoodTank (New York City, Nov. 1-2)
I interviewed Leah Penniman, founder of Soul Fire Farm and author of FARMING WHILE BLACK, about racial justice in our food system. (I wasn't paid for this - I'm a big fan of FoodTank and am happy to volunteer my services.)
ScienceWriters19 (State College, PA, Oct. 28)
Put on by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. I was on a panel about controversial issues (GMOs!) and how they get hijacked by interests both ideological and financial. Talked about COI policy (including the fact that the conference was partly sponsored by Amgen, and the potential that has for compromising journalists covering pharma.)
Institute for the Future Ten-Year Forecast (Richmond, CA, Oct. 24)
IFTF is a think tank that does future forecasts on issues across the spectrum, and including food. I was on a panel with Amanda Little, author of THE FATE OF FOOD, talking about how climate change is affecting food production (including oysters), and how producers are adapting.
Tufts Food System Symposium (Oct. 18)
I moderated a panel with the title: Food Tech and Food Justice - Can we be friends? On the panel were Pam Ronald, a UCDavis geneticist who works on rice, and Neftali Duran, a chef and activist for food justice for indigenous and other underserved communities.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Institute for Science and Policy (Oct. 16)
The Institute, a project of the museum, is an effort to have more constructive policy conversations about science-based issues. The focus of this meeting was climate change, and I gave a talk about questioning your own biases, and changing your mind (I give that talk a lot).
2019 Breakthrough Institute Dialogue (Sausalito, CA June 19-21)
The Breakthrough Institute is a think tank that focuses on the problem of climate change and how technological solutions can help address it. Topics this year included carbon farming and the impact of beef on climate.
Honor the Harvest summit (Maryland, June 4-6)
Co-sponsored by the Aspen Institute and US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, this meeting brought together farm groups, legislators, NGOs, environmental groups, and some members of the media to talk about how agriculture can be a force for good in fighting for climate change.
Gershoff Symposium, Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (Boston, April 26)
I was invited to speak at the symposium, held annually, sponsored by the school, and open to the public. I spoke about the pull of the food environment and its effect on obesity.
Plains Cotton Growers annual meeting (Lubbock, TX, April 4-5)
As the name implies, this is a group of cotton growers, and their meeting is underwritten by membership (including farmers, extension agents, seed reps, and ag businesses) and Farmers Cooperative Compress (a local warehousing coop).
2018:
Food & Farm Care Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Dec. 6)
I spoke with the Ontario chapter of this group, a member-supported not-for-profit with the mission of disseminating information about agriculture, earlier in the year, and that led to this invitation. As in Ontario, the members are mostly farmers (large and small, organic and conventional, commodity and specialty) and farm groups, with some ag-related businesses (local feed mills as well as large corporations). In this case, I found out only when I was introduced that my keynote was underwritten by Cargill. I explained to the organizers that, had I known, under no circumstances would I have accepted the invitation. I donated the honorarium to the Union of Concerned Scientists, but I had already paid for a plane ticket and accepted reimbursement. I also kept the cutting board they gave me.
Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, Dec. 4)
I participated in a panel on science communication at the Institute of Science and Policy Symposium, a group the museum has founded to have a science-based voice in policy conversations.
Pew Charitable Trusts (Washington DC, Nov. 8)
I was invited by Pew to talk with the members of their staff who work on food, agriculture, and environmental issues.
New York Academy of Sciences (New York, NY, Nov. 2)
This was a one-day symposium, open to the public, on "Science Denial," co-sponsored by the NYAS and Rutgers Global Health Institute. I was a panel about science communication, in which we took issue with the idea of "science denial."
Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, Oct. 24-25)
The Cornell Alliance for Science is a Cornell University initiative funded by the Gates Foundation that focuses on using technology -- particularly biotechnology -- to improve agriculture in the developing world. I gave a talk and did an exercise on helping participants tap into their own biases.
Bard College Agriculture Salon Series (Red Hook, NY, Oct. 6)
This was one in a series that Bard sponsors on agriculture. They're open to the public, and cover issues the public is likely to be interested in. This one was on local food, and I presented on some of the advantages and disadvantages.
Institute of Food Technologists conference IFT2018 (Chicago, July 16)
The IFT is a non-profit member organization of food scientists from academia, industry, and government. I moderated a panel on the role of consumers in driving demand -- or not -- of processed foods that are better for human and environmental health.
2018 Breakthrough Institute Dialogue (Sausalito, CA June 20-22)
The Breakthrough Institute is a think tank that focuses on the problem of climate change and how technological solutions can help address it. I moderated a panel about what consumers care about, and how their concerns do - or don't - further sustainability.
CRISPRCon (Boston, June 4-5)
I moderated a panel on the future of CRISPR, including one of the founding CRISPR scientists (George Church), a staunch opponent of gene editing (Nnimmo Bassey), and two others. The conference was put on by the Broad Institute (of Harvard and MIT) and the McGovern Institute (of MIT). It has partial sponsorship from both pharmaceutical and agribusiness companies.
American Society for Nutrition annual conference (Boston, June 11)
I moderated a panel after a showing of Food Evolution, a film about GMOs (in which I briefly appear). The focus of the panel was how, or whether, GMOs can contribute to environmental and human health. (ASN is a member-supported group for nutritional researchers and practitioners.)
Organic Trade Association meeting (Washington DC, May 24)
I participated in a media panel as part of organic week, when organic groups convene in DC to talk policy and lobby congress. (No expenses or honorarium were paid.)
Food & Farm Care Ontario (Milton, ON, April 11)
The group is a member-supported not-for-profit with the mission of disseminating information about agriculture. The members are mostly farmers (large and small, organic and conventional, commodity and specialty) and farm groups, with some ag-related businesses (local feed mills as well as large corporations).
University of Minnesota Healthy Foods Healthy Lives Institute (Minneapolis, MN, April 6)
The conference focused on the environmental impact of different diets. The institute is funded by the university.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Bloomberg American Health Initiative symposium (Baltimore, MD, March 7-8)
This was a meeting of public health practitioners and researchers, tackling obesity and nutrition from many angles. The school, as the name implies, is largely underwritten by the Bloomberg Philanthropies.
2017:
American Society for Nutrition (Washington DC, December 10)
The ASN convened a meeting with a subset of its membership to talk about its goals for 2018. My talk was about what I see as the shortcomings of nutrition research, and what steps I, as a journalist, would like to see taken to improve it.
Iowa Food & Family Project (Des Moines, September 25-27)
This is a project of the Iowa Soybean Association, in which they invite journalists and academics to visit farms and give a talk. I got to see farms ranging from small operations that serve the local community to the more common, large, corn & soy farms. I spoke about the communication problems in the public conversation about agriculture, at Drake University.
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (New Orleans, September 14)
Representatives of each state's department of ag convene annually. I moderated a panel on the public conversation about agriculture (why are we talking past each other?), with a broad spectrum of opinion and a focus on how each side might better understand the other.
Culinary Institute of America (Napa, August 22-24)
I moderated a panel at the Flavor, Quality, and American Menus leadership retreat (co-sponsored by UC Davis), in which restaurateurs and food service professionals convene to discuss how to better introduce sustainably produced products into their menus.
Institute of Food Technologists conference IFT2017 (Las Vegas, June 26)
The IFT is a non-profit member organization of food scientists from academia, industry, and government, and I participated in two events. I moderated a panel on the role of processed foods in the American diet (including both critics and supporters), and participated in a session on sustainable agriculture.
2017 Breakthrough Institute Dialog - a panel on sustainable agriculture (Sausalito, CA June 22/23)
The Breakthrough Institute is a think tank that focuses on the problem of climate change and how technological solutions can help address it. I moderated a panel about what sustainable agriculture might look like, with a focus on weighing efficiency against other factors.
Hunter College screening of the film Food Evolution (New York, NY March 31)
I moderated a panel, including one of the filmmakers, a scientist who appears in the film (both of whom are essentially pro-GMO), and a human rights lawyer (who is much more skeptical).
Williamsburg Farmers Market 15th Anniversary forum (Williamsburg, VA, March 16)
I spoke on a panel about food sustainability -- what it looks like and how we might achieve it -- with Anson Mills founder Glenn Roberts (who is great fun).
Boston Museum of Science Food Charette (Boston, March 12-14)
The museum convened a group of people from across the food spectrum -- academics, chefs, business owners, journalists, scientists -- to discuss how the museum could be effective in communicating important food-related issues to its visitors.
Women in food & agriculture retreat at Glynwood Farm (Cold Spring, NY, March 2-4)
Not so much a speaking engagement as a participation opportunity, as Glynwood's president organized a three-day retreat to bring a group of women involved in food together to talk about food supply issues and define a role for the group.
2016:
Panel discussion of the new documentary film, Food Evolution (November 18)
The Cornell Alliance for Science (a Cornell University initiative funded by the Gates Foundation that focuses on using technology -- particularly biotechnology -- to improve agriculture in the developing world) sponsored a screening of the film, and I moderated a panel discussion with the filmmakers and some of the people interviewed in the film.
James Beard Foundation Food Conference (October 17-18)
I moderated a debate on the role of industrial food in the food movement, between Slow Food CEO Richard McCarthy and former White House chef Sam Kass. The conference is sponsored by the Foundation, with support from a range of food companies (Bonterra organic wines, Fairlife milk), media (Good Housekeeping, Civil Eats), and a variety of other food-related organizations.
Humane Society of the United States Future of Food conference (Oct. 8)
I moderated a panel discussing the Farm Bill, with a focus on reconciling the needs of the farmers who receive the $20 billion in subsidies, and the taxpayers who provide them, particularly with regard to environmental health and animal welfare.
CIMMYT's 50th Anniversary conference (Sept. 27-29)
CIMMYT is the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, which works on developing and distributing varieties of those two crops that are appropriate for the developing world. They are part of the CGIAR consortium, the global group of institutions devoted to fighting hunger and poverty. CIMMYT is funded by government agencies like USAID, international institutions like the World Bank, philanthropies like the Rockefeller Foundation, and industry players like Syngenta. They asked me to speak about the public conversation about new technologies, and how we might improve it, which I was pleased to do. I find being in a room full of people trying to solve the problems of poverty and hunger very inspiring.
2016 Breakthrough Institute Dialog - a panel on the future of meat (June 23/24)
The Breakthrough Institute is a think tank that focuses on the problem of climate change and how technological solutions can help address it. The technological solution on display in the panel I moderated was lab-grown meat (from cell cultures). The panel covered a variety of perspectives, and included an advocate for managed grazing to sequester carbon in pastures, and an animal scientist specializing in cattle genetics. It was an interesting, wide-ranging discussion.
Scientific American workshop: Lost in Translation; how science is presented in the media. (March 31)
Held at the National Press Club, this was an event that was sponsored by the biotech industry (a group called GMO Answers) along with Johnson & Johnson. I thought this event was too one-sided for me to accept any compensation (including expenses), and several other journalists who participated agreed. I attended, and spoke, because I wanted to make the point that science communication requires people who disagree to come together and discuss those disagreements; echo chambers like this event don't improve public discourse. (I wrote about that event for the National Press Foundation.)
2015
Cornell University's Alliance for Science
Genetically Modified Organisms – Improving the Interfaces between Scientists and Citizens Workshop, Washington DC (hosted by the National Academy of Sciences)
Food for all: Ecology, Biotechnology and Sustainability, Boston MA (seminar at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy)
South By Southwest, Austin TX (debate between GMO Answers and Ben & Jerry's)
International conference on Agri-Biotechnology and Biosafety Communication, Nairobi, Kenya (co-hosted by the Kenyan National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA)
Transgenic Animal Research Conference, Granlibakken CA (co-hosted by UC Davis and Recombinetics)
Biotech Literacy Day, Gainesville FL (hosted by the University of Florida)
Discussion workshop on animal genetics, Nairobi, Kenya (co-hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute and Biosciences for Farming in Africa)
Stewards of the Future: Water for a growing world (hosted by North Carolina State University, Agriculture and Life Sciences Department)
AGree 2015 Partners Forum: Driving Positive Change in Food and Agriculture
American Seed Trade Association annual conference
2014
North American Strategy Conference on Animal Agriculture, Chicago IL (hosted by the Center for Food Integrity)
North Carolina Agriculture and Biotech Summit, Raleigh NC (hosted by the North Carolina Biotech Center and North Carolina State University)
International workshop on the regulation of animal biotechnology, Brasilia, Brazil (co-hosted by the USDA)
Aquaculture and Fish Tech 101, Astoria OR (co-hosted by Delaware Sea Grant)
Biotechnology Literacy Project, Gainesville FL (co-hosted by the Genetic Literacy Project, the Biotechnology Innovation Asoociation [an industry group], the University of Florida, the USDA, and USAID)
A Science-Based Look at Genetically Engineered Crops, first public meeting, Washington DC (hosted by the National Academy of Sciences)