JNA Institute of Culinary Arts
1212 South Broad StreetWe all need to understand the implications of food policy. What would it take to create a healthier, more sustainable food system? What’s the impact of crop insurance on crop production and farmers' livelihoods? How does SNAP actually work? These are questions that affect not only farmers, but everyone who eats—and while they seem to cover a lot of ground, they've all been bound up in one crucial piece of American legislation: the farm bill.
Renegotiated every five to seven years, the farm bill has had tremendous implications for food production, nutrition assistance, habitat conservation, international trade, and many other sectors since it was first passed in the 1930s. Yet at nearly 1,000 pages, it is difficult to understand even for policymakers, let alone citizens. Further, many provisions typically funded by the farm bill are to be addressed through the recently-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act—with many potential impacts on food production, food access, and nutrition looming ahead.
Join Binding Agents, Slow Food Philly, and Edible Philly for a conversation with Christina Badaracco, co-author of the 2019 primer The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide, and Catherine Peebles of Rodale Institute. In one approachable discussion, we'll learn about the basic elements of U.S. food policy, its origins and history, and perhaps most importantly, the battles that will determine the direction of our food systems in the coming years.
If you care about farm subsidies, food assistance, or conservation programs—as well as how crucial public policies are changing—this will be a can't-miss event.
NOTE: This event will be held on the second floor of the JNA Culinary Institute (1212 S. Broad St.). The building does not have an elevator. Please contact us at hello@bindingagentsphilly.com if this prevents you from attending in person.
Free tickets are available for individuals working in this sector impacted by layoffs, furloughs, or loss of federal funding. Please email hello@bindingagentsphilly.com for details.
About Christina Badaracco
Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN, works as a healthcare consultant and thought leader, focusing on evidence generation, quality improvement, and healthcare transformation. She also regularly writes, teaches, and develops curriculum about nutrition, culinary medicine, and sustainable agriculture—including publishing The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide and Mix It Up: The Culinary Medicine Cookbook for Mixing Things Up in the Kitchen, publishing five cookbooks with the Transamerica Institute, and co-developing a culinary medicine elective at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and a lifestyle medicine shared medical appointment series for MedStar Shah in Maryland. She was selected to serve on the Coding4Food teaching kitchen workgroup that is creating new HCPCS codes to integrate a spectrum of food is medicine interventions into the healthcare system. Other recent clients have included Boston Medical Center, Penn State, and Food Systems for the Future. Christina previously worked for Avalere, a healthcare advisory firm; the EPA; Teaching Kitchen Collaborative; Oakland Unified School District; NIH Clinical Center; and other institutions. She serves as immediate past-president for the DC Metro Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, board member for Slow Food DC and Food and Farm Policy Team member for Slow Food USA, founder of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative's nutrition working group, and contributor to various other organizations. She earned her Master of Public Health from UC Berkeley and her bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Italian Language and Culture, from Princeton University. She completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and was selected as a 2021 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, 2023 Emerging Dietetic Leader, 2024 Rising Leader, and 2025 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Tue, Aug 19, 2025 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
JNA Institute of Culinary Arts
1212 South Broad Street
Binding Agents is Philly's bookshop for cooks and eaters. Located in South Philly’s culinary epicenter, the 9th Street Italian Market, we’re your go-to source for new cookbooks and food-focused reads, plus gifts and goods for making, serving and enjoying. We’re independent, women-owned, fun & funky. Learn more at bindingagentsphilly.com.
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