"Somewhere along the line, we lost the true purpose of food."-Isabel Mace That quote from Isabel Mace stuck with all of us as we kicked off the fifth cohort of The Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellowship. We were treated to a beautiful supper at the Catto Center at Toklat. Join us in welcoming them

From 5 vendors in a high school parking lot to 45 farmer's markets across Chicago, Chef Rick Bayless breaks down how small grants moved the needle. A great moment from the Aspen Ideas Climate. Watch the full conversation: https://ow.ly/hV3W50Zxfqv

I sat down with three people at Aspen Ideas Climate, all of whom have spent decades getting Chicago closer to its food. Chef Cliff Rome from The Obama Foundation shared the lesson from his grandmother. More: https://ow.ly/zz8o50Zx54l

Food companies are suing countries to block warning labels and it's working. On Boston Public Radio, I talked about the fight over ultra-processed food regulation. Full segment: https://aspenfood.org/2026/08/04/ultra-processed-ultra-litigious-big-foods-lawyers-vs-your-ingredient-list/

Ultra-Processed, Ultra-Litigious: Big Food's Lawyers vs. Your Ingredient List - Food & Society

Corby joins Boston Public Radio for a segment that starts with why customers can't quit their favorite "upset tummy" food despite the cyclospora outbreak. Then he digs into the World Health Organization's fight against food-industry lawsuits blocking warning labels on ultra-processed foods. Finally, he takes a surprising look at how declining alcohol consumption is reshaping

aspenfood.org

@drtedros.who.int on industry lawsuits against (mostly poor) countries trying to limit ultra-processed foods: “When harm and profit are tied to the same product, a familiar pattern of industry interference emerges: sowing doubt and obstructing regulation.” www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Ultra-processed food companies hindering health drives by suing countries, says WHO

Exclusive: Director general accuses corporations of obstructing efforts to tackle obesity crisis after investigation by Guardian and others

theguardian.com

"We get to build it ourselves." Accepting the 2026 McNulty Foundation Prize, our Fellow Tom McDougall of 4P Foods challenged us to stop patching the food system and start building a better one — piece by piece. He's got 89+ siblings (aka fellows) building with him. Watch: https://ow.ly/s2BS50ZsqQO

Scared of salad right now? Wait for the recipe! The cyclospora outbreak isn't confirmed to be just Taylor Farms and here's the kicker: Michigan has the MOST cases not because it's the epicenter, but because it has the best-staffed disease investigators. More: https://ow.ly/50o250ZtWCo

Last week I spent a miraculous afternoon in the company of Wendell and Tanya Berry, as I had been very lucky to do on several occasions though none since the pandemic. They were in splendid form. Thread count 1 of 7

Truly great card from spouse.

We always think Tom McDougall is surrounded by a halo—something many of our Food & Society at the Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellows have in common. So glad the McNulty Foundation agrees! Here he is at the McNulty Prize ceremony at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum on the The Aspen Institute campus.

At The Aspen Institute, Bobby Flay told a room that when he sees me walk onto the set of Beat Bobby Flay, his first thought is: "If it's not perfect, I'm dead." Truly the best thing anyone has ever said about me. Full conversation: https://aspenfood.org/2026/06/23/corby-kummer-and-bobby-flay/

"These platters looked like what you might put on the table at home, simple to the point of unremarkable, but there was beauty in that." A four-star @nytimes.com by Tejal Rao with two stars. So glad I'm out of the star-giving business. And that Tejal got Chez Panisse. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/d...

New work-requirement rules just raised the bar for who qualifies for SNAP. States must now cover up to 75% of admin costs they never paid before. The impact is already visible Listen to my conversation with Christina and Shirley on Boston Public Radio: https://ow.ly/aqOj50ZqVLu

The Taylor Farms lettuce recall is bigger than Taco Bell. It has hit Cisco--school, hospital, and college cafeterias too--but the company won't disclose full shipping details Watch my conversation on Boston Public Radio: https://ow.ly/Gowg50ZqOZw #Cyclospora

Lettuce, Cuts, and Cheese: A Week Inside America's Food Safety Net - Food & Society

https://www.youtube.com/live/08VS09FoOZs?si=L3OUSISe_46D60eR&t=2986 Corby Kummer starts from the ground up covering the latest developments in the investigation of cyclospora in this episode of Boston Public Radio. He points to the heroic efforts of a bare bones USDA analysts who remain after cuts started with the Biden administration and accelerated under the current one. He moves on to

ow.ly

Strip away the contention and we find common ground. That’s what Ellen Brown writes in her recent essay, What Emerges Is a Food Agenda, Not an Argument (link in the last thread) @aspenfood.bsky.social

Congratulations to Tom McDougall, founder of 4P Foods and a Food Leaders Fellow, on the well-deserved 2026 John P. McNulty Prize! His work building resilient, equitable food supply chains inspired us the moment we met him. Congrats to fellow winners! More: https://ow.ly/2Ee850Zol6E

The Prize | McNulty Foundation

The John P. McNulty Prize awarded in partnership with the Aspen Institute, celebrating those who use their leadership abilities and private sector talents to address the world’s toughest challenges.

ow.ly

I moderated this panel and will never forget! Calley Means and Marion Nestle disagreed sharply and audience voices raised more than once. But Ellen Brown looks beyond from the friction to a real, shared food agenda Video & essay: https://ow.ly/nn7750ZnZt1

What Emerges Is a Food Agenda, Not an Argument

Removing the Friction From A Contentious Aspen Panel

substack.com

New from Aspen Ideas: a MAHA senior advisor and the nutrition world's most influential critic shared a stage. It got heated fast. Watch the conversation: https://aspenfood.org/2026/07/13/corby-at-aspen-ideas-festival-2026/

"It takes a lifetime. I'll never learn everything — and isn't that wonderful? So I'll never get bored." Asked Bobby Flay why he still works so hard, The Aspen Institute. That's the whole answer. More: https://aspenfood.org/2026/06/23/corby-kummer-and-bobby-flay/

From Easy-Bake Oven to Empire: Bobby Flay Unfiltered - Food & Society

Before the Food Network, before Beat Bobby Flay, before the 18 cookbooks...there was a kid with an Easy-Bake Oven and no shot at high school graduation. Bobby Flay tells that whole story to Corby Kummer as part of The Aspen Institute's Hearst Lecture series, and it's better than any episode they've ever filmed. https://www.youtube.com/live/rAMpA6A4sCQ?si=BHkhjVwF4O5PIj68

aspenfood.org

A different kind of fireworks--@marionnestle.bsky.social and Calley Means at @aspenideas.bsky.social on UPFs, school food, GRAS, and dietary guidelines. Just the kind of discussion @aspeninstitute.bsky.social was made for--current, important, deeply informed, passionate. youtu.be/uwH8PVsItIk?...

The American Wellness Paradox

YouTube video by The Aspen Institute

youtu.be

"The answer was always yes, please come in." — Bobby Flay on what the food world taught him about generosity. Asked him this at The Aspen Institute. One of the best answers I've heard in years. 🔥 More: https://ow.ly/8f4g50Zg0N1 #FoodCulture #AspenInstitute #BobbyFlay

The administration canceled $1B+ helping small farmers sell into schools. Some of those farmers had already bought equipment and planted crops in anticipation of that money. A bipartisan bill wants to rebuild. More: https://ow.ly/T4qi50ZfnFV Food & Society at the Aspen Institute

As @jfallows.bsky.social points out, Mark Singer, who always stepped in to do the right and caring thing with zero fanfare, was the kind of person "great guy" was coined to describe.

James Fallows@jfallows.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Oh no! Mark Singer has been one of the most gifted magazine writers ever. And among the most decent, admirable people. In addition to his unforgettable profile of Ricky Jay, Mark wrote *the* piece about Trump that foresaw everything. Nearly 30 years ago: www.newyorker.com/magazine/199...

Such a wonderful honor to be featured by the incredibly talented Amanda Faison in Aspen Sojourner! Thank you for bringing this story to life with so much warmth and care. Deeply grateful! Read the story: https://aspenfood.org/2026/06/19/aspen-sojourner-food-for-thought/

Really interesting morning talking about how #FoodisMedicine can scale in New York City and State, convened by Julian Macrone and Javier Silva of @newyorkfed.org at the beautiful building of NY Academy of Medicine

New England's invasive green crabs are destroying clam beds, so, let's eat them! Create a market, pay fishermen to catch them, and protect local oysters and clams in the process. Full story: https://aspenfood.org/2026/06/09/the-case-for-eating-your-enemies/ #GreenCrab #InvasiveSpecies #

A doctor prescribes vegetables. A local farm fills it. A patient gets healthier. That's 4P Foods's case study on our Food is Medicine Community Action Plan! More: https://www.fimcommunity.org/cases/4p-foods #FoodIsMedicine

The latest from Boston Public Radio: a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to tie SNAP funding to ideological restrictions, but the damage is done. Listen at: https://aspenfood.org/2026/06/09/the-case-for-eating-your-enemies/. #SNAPBenefits #FoodInsecurity

“If you care about the way people who grew your food were treated, and their welfare now after you bought their food, that’s Carlo Petrini.” Read the entire piece on Washington Post: https://ow.ly/jBkB50Z90lV Slow Food Food & Society at the Aspen Institute

“If you care about the way people who grew your food were treated, and their welfare now after you bought their food, that’s Carlo Petrini.” Read the entire piece on Washington Post: https://ow.ly/jBkB50Z90lV Slow Food