Ep8: Simran Sethi, Author & Journalist of Bread, Wine, Chocolate

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Simran Sethi is a scholar, author, journalist and social justice activist. She uses the subject of food to bring the major issues of social and environmental sustainability in to the realm of the every day. Her latest book, Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love (Harper Collins)  is one part memoir of her epic journey across six continents, and one part investigation into the loss of the foods we love – and those who are fighting to preserve them.

Simran loves food and we talk about the balance of research and personal stories in her book. See below for one of the beautiful illustrations; a coffee tasting wheel used by roasters to describe the complex flavours in coffee. This research shares the pages with accounts of the personal stories of the scientists, chefs, beer brewers, chocolatiers and farmers she meets from Ethiopia to Ecuador.

If ever there was a living, breathing, example of someone who has not wavered in pursuit of her passion, Simran Sethi is it. Starting her career at the MTV news channel straight out of college, she went on to launch the news channel at MTV India, which is where she began to notice the impact of globalization on first world countries. As a journalist and correspondent for TreeHugger.com, she made multiple TV appearances (think: Oprah, Martha Stewart & Ellen) and became the environmental correspondent for NBC news. Over time she has realized that story telling is her passion and global food production systems and the people who work in them are the subjects she wants to talk about.

This is an inspiring interview about one woman’s quest to deliver difficult messages about the future of our food production system in a way that is human and personal. Simran is funny, candid and humble.

What We Talk About

• Ethical Markets and Hazel Henderson
• The Slow Melt
• Impostor Syndrome and being a writer with a capital “R”
• Career Advice for the Undecided
• Following your passion
• Putting in the work to become good at what you love

Other Stuff

• Simran’s Key Note at Tedx Cibeles
• SOMA Chocolate (her favourite!)
• If you want to read Bread, Wine, Chocolate, which was released on October 18th, there is a discount available for our listeners. Go to www.harpercollins.com and enter the code bwc15 at checkout for a 15% discount.