Regenerating the Sahel and Rediscovering Forgotten Foods, with Chef Pierre Thiam
05/05/22 • 48 min
1 Listener
In this episode, Chef Pierre Thiam takes us on a journey from a boy growing up in coastal Senegal dreaming of becoming a scientist to a young man, who finds himself in downtown Manhattan in the early 90’s. As his story unfolds, we see how sometimes “the fates” have a way of putting us on a path that is very different to what we had envisioned.
Chef Pierre’s story is fascinating and he shares how these experiences shaped his world view today. He is now a restaurateur and co-founder of Yolele foods, a food brand that brings us the flavors of west Africa and the superfood grain Fonio. We learn how this ancient, superfood grain has been overlooked and almost even forgotten in the urban areas of West Africa following the adoption of French influenced, colonial food systems. Chef Pierre explains the cultural significance of Fonio as well as its incredible nutritional profile and agricultural impact potential. Fonio is called the "seed of the universe" by the Dogon people of Mali, try it and you will see why!
Building a new category involves developing all the parts in the middle (harvesting and processing) for this new ingredient to scale. Chef Pierre describes the leading-edge innovation and advancements in manufacturing that he and his team has made to bring this new grain to global markets. These advancements are a "big deal" in the world of climate-impact small cereals and nutrition. His brand Yolele foods is making a big impact on the global palate and awareness about climate-impact, superfood grains.
Pierre tells us about his upbringing and how he was raised with the understanding of regeneration. This included a culture of eating seasonally and understanding how crops need to be planted together to help eachother grow and to combat the advancement of the Sahara desert. He invites us to think about our food in a new way.
Join us on this heartfelt recording that will have you on the edge of your seat hearing about those early days in the kitchens of NYC to his explorations of the rural deserts of the Sahel. You will feel Pierre’s sincere passion for impacting the people and the land of his youth.
Join us on this heartfelt recording that which will have you on the edge of your seat hearing about those early days in the kitchens of NYC to his explorations of the rural deserts of the Sahel. You you will feel Pierre’s sincere passion for impacting the people and the land of his youth.
Learn more about Yolélé,
https://www.instagram.com/yolelefoods/?hl=en
Lear more about Chef Pierre:
https://twitter.com/chefpierrethiam
TED Talk with Chef Pierre: https://youtu.be/yjtCDgjxRAw
In this episode, Chef Pierre Thiam takes us on a journey from a boy growing up in coastal Senegal dreaming of becoming a scientist to a young man, who finds himself in downtown Manhattan in the early 90’s. As his story unfolds, we see how sometimes “the fates” have a way of putting us on a path that is very different to what we had envisioned.
Chef Pierre’s story is fascinating and he shares how these experiences shaped his world view today. He is now a restaurateur and co-founder of Yolele foods, a food brand that brings us the flavors of west Africa and the superfood grain Fonio. We learn how this ancient, superfood grain has been overlooked and almost even forgotten in the urban areas of West Africa following the adoption of French influenced, colonial food systems. Chef Pierre explains the cultural significance of Fonio as well as its incredible nutritional profile and agricultural impact potential. Fonio is called the "seed of the universe" by the Dogon people of Mali, try it and you will see why!
Building a new category involves developing all the parts in the middle (harvesting and processing) for this new ingredient to scale. Chef Pierre describes the leading-edge innovation and advancements in manufacturing that he and his team has made to bring this new grain to global markets. These advancements are a "big deal" in the world of climate-impact small cereals and nutrition. His brand Yolele foods is making a big impact on the global palate and awareness about climate-impact, superfood grains.
Pierre tells us about his upbringing and how he was raised with the understanding of regeneration. This included a culture of eating seasonally and understanding how crops need to be planted together to help eachother grow and to combat the advancement of the Sahara desert. He invites us to think about our food in a new way.
Join us on this heartfelt recording that will have you on the edge of your seat hearing about those early days in the kitchens of NYC to his explorations of the rural deserts of the Sahel. You will feel Pierre’s sincere passion for impacting the people and the land of his youth.
Join us on this heartfelt recording that which will have you on the edge of your seat hearing about those early days in the kitchens of NYC to his explorations of the rural deserts of the Sahel. You you will feel Pierre’s sincere passion for impacting the people and the land of his youth.
Learn more about Yolélé,
https://www.instagram.com/yolelefoods/?hl=en
Lear more about Chef Pierre:
https://twitter.com/chefpierrethiam
TED Talk with Chef Pierre: https://youtu.be/yjtCDgjxRAw
Previous Episode
Rethinking Commodities and California agriculture in a changing world with Claudia Carter
Our future will be defined by those who understand deeply ingrained systems but have the ability to harness that knowledge, think outside of the box, and free the system to move toward a better model. Few are doing this as well as Claudia Carter.
Claudia will take us on a journey from her hometown of Manta, Ecuador to her current role as Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission. In this episode, you will hear how the passion for great food, wheat, and healthy children is changing the way we interface with one of the oldest and most significant crops on the planet.
This recording takes us through the complex world of commodity wheat, protein levels, quantitative lab evaluation and beyond. You will learn how the conformity in nutrient composition dictates market pull and price. This helps us to see how the industry has problems using wheats grown outside of conventional systems (both organic and regenerative) and why the market has had a hard time adapting to it despite proof that these crops can often perform beautifully in bakery applications.
We discuss the pressures in California from prolonged drought, irrigation access, and the recently passed legislation that is forcing farmers to make some very serious decisions. SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) is changing the future of California’s agricultural sector and we hear about what farmers, advocates, and academics are doing to help prevent the land from becoming fallow.
Claudia is so passionate about children and we will hear about the Grain to School program she has worked to develop that helps kids connect with grains and grain-based foods from the soil up.
Claudia’s zeal for life is infectious and on top of all the incredible things she is doing, she is also pursuing her Ph.D. in Nutrition. It is thrilling to see this union of nutrition, cereal sciences, and industry coming together. Claudia embodies the visionary insight that is needed to build a healthier, more resilient food system.
Learn more below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiacarter/
https://www.instagram.com/californiawheat/
https://twitter.com/CAWheatComm
https://water.ca.gov/programs/groundwater-management/sgma-groundwater-management
Next Episode
Category Creation, Distribution and Regenerating the Planet with Laura McCord of KeHE
Today, we hear from Laura McCord, the Executive Sustainability Director for KeHE.
Laura combines her lifelong passion for the outdoors and nature with her career in grocery and natural products distribution to lead the way in corporate sustainability. She is passionate about conservation and building business practices that reflect and uphold these values.
Laura discusses the nuances between the organic movement and the emerging regenerative movement and how we see opportunities to make a bigger impact on reducing chemicals in our food system and building healthier soils. We also explore how categories emerge in the grocery industry. We explore the process of educating both consumers and retailers and how the success of early movers in new categories ultimately depends on brand positioning, quality, pricing, and marketing.
We will also learn about KeHE’s new ECOtrade program and the initiatives they are creating in their organization and with their partners. ECOtrade is a new climate initiative that includes four main climate action commitment areas: transportation, energy, waste, and refrigerants. Laura also tells us about CAREtrade.
Laura believes in consumers as a powerful force both in the marketplace and in creating positive change in the world.
If you are interested in hearing about how distributors and the natural products industry is thinking about important issues in today’s food system, then this will be a great opportunity to learn more.
To learn more or get in touch with Laura, please see the links below.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-mccord-903ab858/
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