Feature of the Week: Q&A w/ Dana Goldman

Dana is a good friend of my sister who is currently pursuing a dual masters degree - a master of science in nutrition (agriculture, food, and the environment) and a master of international relations (development economics, international environment and resource policy). She has been a vegetarian for 11 years, and is a huge foodie! After graduating from Georgetown, she spent two years in the peace corp in Senegal, and has now returned to the US to complete her degree.

Thanks for being my feature this week Dana!

What are the major nutritional issues abroad that you are interested in? Can you expand on what your major passion is that led you to get this degree?

Since I've started my degree, and as I have learned more about the myriad nutritional issues around the world, my initial interests have expanded.  I came into graduate school straight out of the Peace Corps where I was an environmental education volunteer in Senegal.  I lived in a rural village and spent a lot of time with smallholder subsistence farmers and households that live on the margin of survival.  Adequate access to food is a huge part of their lives and a daily concern.  Going into grad school I wanted to pursue a career dedicated to agricultural development in developing countries in order to improve food security for the poorest people in the world.  Having been in school for a year and a half my interests have expanded to include other aspects of the food system, including domestic (US) food and agriculture policy, global agribusiness and the environmental impact of food production.  Given the projections for population growth over the next 40 years and the need for increased food production, if we don't find ways to remedy the food insecurity around the world today, the problem will only get worse.  Food insecurity is not simply a result of failed agricultural production - it can be influenced by various other factors, including poverty, politics, equality, cultural considerations, etc.  I have become interested in exploring the combination of all these factors, not solely focusing on increasing agricultural output.

Is there a particular region of the world that you think needs the most help?

While Asia holds the largest number of individuals living in poverty, the proportion of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) living under the international poverty line is the greatest.  SSA trails the rest of the developing world in terms of economic development and poverty reduction.  Because the green revolution did not reach SSA as it did Asia and Latin America, agricultural yields and technology use in agriculture lag as well.  However, it's hard to prioritize one region over another because around the world (even in this country) there are people living in poverty and struggling to meet their survival needs.

Are there any agencies currently in place that you believe are making a difference?

There are so many development agencies, international organizations and NGOs that are trying to solve these problems around the world.  Ultimately I think that poverty reduction and improvements in quality of life are going to come from economic development strategies that focus on sustainability, avoid resource over-exploitation and environmental degradation, and promote equality.  I have become more and more interested in the role of the private sector in promoting and influencing development around the world.  Especially in the food system, the private sector holds incredible influence over the nature of food production and its environmental and social impact.

When you were in Africa were there certain locals foods that you loved? Any foods that you missed from the United States?

Where I lived in Senegal, the diet was primarily based around staple carbs (millet and rice) prepared with somewhat limited variety.  One of the hardest parts of the Peace Corps for me was not having access to fresh produce and feeling nutritionally deficient.  The Peace Corps medical staff used to give us prenatal vitamins because they knew our diets were so nutritionally incomplete.  I dreamed about fresh salads, crisp apples and really good coffee.  That said, I relished mango season in Senegal and some of my favorite Senegalese dishes were mafe (rice served with a thick peanut sauce) and chere mboum (millet couscous served with a leaf and bean sauce).  I lived in a part of the country with a lot of pastoralists so during the rainy season we had access to fresh milk and sour milk (literally milk that goes sour and turns into a yogurt-like concoction - delicious with lots of sugar!).

You’ve been a vegetarian for 11 years -- meaning you decided when you were 15? What made you decide to go vegetarian?

When I was in high school we had to take an ethics course.  My professor showed us a video about animal production in the US (gruesome living conditions and slaughterhouse practices).  That video did it for me and I've been vegetarian ever since.  Meat production in the US is inhumane, environmentally destructive and pretty much unnecessary because in we are perfectly able to eat nutritionally balanced vegetarian diets.  I don't have anything against eating animals if they are raised and killed humanely; I've been vegetarian for so long now the idea of eating meat just doesn't appeal and it is very difficult, not to mention expensive, to find meat that is humanely and sustainably produced.

Why are you trying veganism for the month? Are there any really hard parts about it?

I've been trying veganism because many of the concerns I have about meat production apply to dairy production as well.  I have been considering veganism for some time and I decided to try it for a month to see how difficult it would be and how it would make me feel.  Luckily I have a nutrition background and I love to cook so I've been happy so far and feel like I am meeting my nutritional requirements. I think the hardest part for me is not eating eggs (I love poached eggs on just about anything!) and feeling like a nuisance when eating out.

Have you found that you are able to get all of your nutrients through both vegetarian and vegan diets?

Definitely.  There are plenty of yummy vegetarian and vegan ways to get adequate nutrients.  Soymilk actually has more calcium than regular milk, I eat lots of beans, nuts and soy-based foods for protein and tons of fruits and vegetables.  I certainly have no problem getting plenty of fiber - great for digestive health!  Vegetarians and vegans are at no disadvantage to meat eaters when it comes to meeting nutritional requirements, it just requires some basic nutritional knowledge and culinary creativity.

What is your favorite vegetable and how do you like it prepared?

My all-time favorite vegetable is broccoli lightly steamed with a little extra virgin olive oil, fresh ground pepper and a sprinkling of salt.