To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re interviewing women at the Center for Progressive Reform about how they’re building a more just America, whether by pursuing a just transition to clean energy, protections for food workers, or legal support for Native Americans.
This week, we spoke with Board Member Laurie Ristino, a policy and law expert on food security, climate change, ecosystem services, and land stewardship. Her work concerns developing new policy and civil society innovations to address climate change and social injustice while improving environmental and economic sustainability.
CPR: What motivated you to become an expert in food security policy and a voice for equal justice in America? Is there historical context to this or a moment in history that stood out to you as motivation or inspiration?
LR: I don’t consider myself a food security expert as much as I consider myself a policy expert working at the nexus of environment, food systems, and social-economic equity. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been interested in social justice and advocacy. Being gay, I have experienced discrimination and fear — and also the potential of law and policy to make great change. But, I’m also painfully aware that social justice gains in the law are radically uneven — especially for people of color and Native Americans.
My experience as a college student in the ‘80s, when the gay and lesbian movement was accelerating, in part because of HIV/AIDS, was a turning point for me. This was a time of great energy and promise, but also fear and sadness given the virus and laws that criminalized being gay or lesbian.
CPR: What do you see as the highest priority in this field and what are the barriers to change? How does your work affect women in particular? Are there inequities you’ve witnessed that you’re working to change?
LR: In terms of the food system, the pandemic laid bare food inequities and weaknesses. It’s not acceptable for people to go hungry in this country and for farmers to have to throw away perfectly good dairy and produce. Yet, that is what we saw happen during the pandemic — visions of the Great Depression.
We have an opportunity to learn from the pandemic. We need to support diversification of our food supply, reward stewardship, strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and invite a new, diverse generation of farmers and food producers [to help grow the industry]. Policy is a linchpin to make this happen.
CPR: If you could have Congress or President Biden’s ear for an afternoon, what would you recommend?
LR: The Biden administration is transformational. Climate change, social equality, and competence are being prioritized. The embracing of the first two is significant when compared to other administrations. My advice would be to push forward on the stated goals to finally deal with climate change and the racial injustice that has plagued our food system. Laying the groundwork for a new resilient and equitable food system now is essential for our future.
CPR: Who inspires you?
LR: My mother. She’s a force of nature. Even now in my 50s, I look to her for wisdom.
CPR: Who in particular would benefit from the policy reform you seek?
LR: Most women in America.
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Laurie Ristino, Maggie Dewane | March 26, 2021
To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re interviewing women at the Center for Progressive Reform about how they’re building a more just America. This week, we're speaking with Board Member Laurie Ristino.
Daniel Farber | March 25, 2021
If you ask Supreme Court experts what keeps them up at night, the answer is likely to be the non-delegation doctrine. If you are among the 99.9 percent of Americans who've never heard of it, here's an explainer of the doctrine and what the 6-3 Court might do with it.
James Goodwin | March 24, 2021
In a little-noticed move on Day One, President Joe Biden issued a memo designed to institute a more progressive process for developing new regulations. Such an effort is essential, given that timely, effective regulations will play a key role in achieving Biden-Harris administration's policy agenda. To succeed, however, it must also tackle the conservative philosophy that guides our government's rulemaking process.
James Goodwin, Sidney A. Shapiro | March 23, 2021
To paraphrase French economist Thomas Piketty, the task of evaluating new regulations is too important to leave to just economists. Yet, since the 1980s, White House-supervised regulatory impact analysis has privileged economic efficiency as the primary and often only legitimate objective of federal regulation. The regulatory reform initiative launched by President Joseph R. Biden on his first day in office creates an opportunity to reorient regulatory analysis in ways that both reformers and the public support.
Darya Minovi, Katlyn Schmitt | March 22, 2021
Last week, a Maryland circuit court ruled that the state must regulate and limit ammonia pollution from industrial poultry operations. This landmark decision takes an important step toward protecting the environment and public health in the Old Line State and could spur similar action in other states.
Maggie Dewane | March 22, 2021
Women comprise nearly half of Biden’s Cabinet and they are making history as the largest group of women ever to serve on a presidential Cabinet. Here are some of their priorities while in office.
Maggie Dewane, Sarah Krakoff | March 19, 2021
To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re interviewing women at the Center for Progressive Reform about how they’re building a more just America. This week, we're speaking with Member Scholar Sarah Krakoff.
Karen Sokol | March 15, 2021
A week after taking office, President Joe Biden issued an executive order “on tackling the climate crisis” that includes important measures to address the crisis comprehensively and equitably. Specifically, the order directs the federal government to take a “whole of government” approach to the climate crisis that pursues economic security, ensures environmental justice, and empowers workers. The beginning of such a plan is promising, particularly after four years under an administration that wiped the word “climate” from government websites, rolled back the Obama administration’s steps to address the crisis, and made fossil fuel production a centerpiece of its agenda. But it’s just that — a promising beginning. And it’s already under assault.
Gilonne d'Origny, Maggie Dewane | March 12, 2021
To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re interviewing women at the Center for Progressive Reform about how they’re building a more just America. This week we spoke to Gilonne d'Origny.