living democracy, feeding hope
the Institute of writers, speakers, & activists Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé
INVITE FRANCES MOORE LAPPÉ OR ANNA LAPPÉ
Dynamic and engaging. Informative and inspiring.
Small Planet Institute speakers provide audiences with fresh insights, startling facts and stirring vignettes, as they focus on real solutions emerging worldwide.
VIRTUAL AND HYBRID EVENTS!
Frances and Anna are happy to join your event virtually! Both have experience speaking at
events with online formats. Check out Anna and Frances' latest events,
which they spoke at together for the 50th-anniversary edition book launch of Diet for a Small Planet, in September 2021, and Frances spoke as Indiana University's Patten Lecturer in November 2021.
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WE'D LOVE TO VISIT YOUR:
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FUNDRAISER
“You've made such a difference to our students and us. The buzz is still very much with the students. They are inspired!"
—Dr. Laurent Savoy, Professor of Environmental Studies, Mount Holyoke College
Frances Moore Lappé
Democracy at Stake—the Threats and the Promise
Frances Moore Lappé uncovers the root causes of our democracy crisis and the underreported story of millions of Americans joining together to restore and deepen democracy through a "movement of movements." Democracy is the tap-root solution to today’s life-threatening crises—from deepening economic injustice to climate catastrophe; for is democracy essential to human dignity, allowing us move from division toward dialogue and trust. Frances helps us see the roots of the undermining of democracy and shares inspiration from Americans across many states who are advancing a Democracy Movement—changing laws enabling us all to be heard. She argues that not only are we capable of democracy but only it can meet our deep human needs for connection, meaning and power in positive ways. Thus, stepping up to meet our historic crises also serves our own legitimate needs. With inspiring stories and startling facts Frances helps us realize our own power to tackle root causes with exhilarating, courageous action—together.
Diet for a Small Planet: From Choice to Necessity
Frances Moore Lappé shares her journey from an awakening that led to the three-million-copy Diet for Small Planet in 1971. Starting with events triggering her to ask, “why hunger?”, she describes how this question led her to a life-long quest probing “the question behind the question.” She identifies both the progress in both understanding and partially realizing holistic solutions to food and hunger as well as shocking, backward motion worsening ecological destruction and human health. The actions she advocated in 1971 as positive choices are now absolute essentials, Frances explains. Throughout she stresses the “power of ideas” guiding human action—how limiting ideas have trapped us on the wrong path as well as how a new, more holistic “story” is emerging. From courageous actions across the planet, some in surprising places, she identifies a positive remaking of our understanding of human capacities that can inspire our effective action.
Hiding in the Climate Crisis: Honest Hope in Democratic Action
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the simultaneous political, economic, and climate crises upon us, but Frances Moore Lappé helps keep us motivated. She digs to their interacting roots so we can be sure that in attacking them our actions matter: Lappé shows us how our peculiarly brutal form of capitalism—enabling Big Money’s corruption of our democracy—has brought on climate catastrophe. Lappé also exposes and uproots our culture’s myths about our own nature that hinder us. Our deepest human needs beyond the physical are for power, meaning, and connection, she argues, and only democracy can fulfill them. Stepping up to meet our historic crises becomes an opportunity to meet our own legitimate needs. Through inspiring stories and startling facts on effective climate actions, Frances helps us realize our own power to generate a new story as we tackle root causes with exhilarating, courageous action—together.
Anna Lappé
Diet for a Hot Planet
Anna Lappé talks about the links between our food system and the climate crisis — and how farmers are on the frontlines of climate impacts and of climate solutions This talk also focuses an underreported climate strategy—agroecology, a way to build resilient, healthy, equitable food systems.
Spinning Food
Anna Lappé exposes the decades-long efforts by the food industry, particularly pesticide producers, to push doubt, denialism, and deflection about their products using similar tactics and messaging strategies as Big Tobacco and Big Oil, with similarly disastrous impacts on health, wellbeing, and the environment. Pulling from internal documents made publicly available as a result of litigation, Lappé showcases the behind-the-scenes story of PR spin and misinformation to help all of us be critical consumers, not just of the food we eat, but the media about the food we eat.
Marketing Food to Children
Anna Lappé takes on the billion-dollar business of marketing junk food to children and teens. Learn about the dubious marketing tactics of junk food giants and ways you can fight back to promote kids' health.
The Empathy of Food
Anna Lappé speaks on how our empathy connects us to our collective power: she offers her reflection on seeking truth and practicing solidarity in these times.
Frances Moore Lappé or Anna Lappé
Do We Really Need Industrial Agriculture to Feed the World?
The biggest players in the food industry—from pesticides to manufacturers—spend billions of dollars every year selling the idea that we need their products to feed the world. But, do we really need industrial agriculture to feed the world? No, another pathway not only can meet our food needs but help address poverty and the global climate crisis.
SAMPLE TALKS
“Students in my classes were bubbling with enthusiasm about your presentations and discussions at our school. I think one student captured the mood of many when he described your presentation as a "TED talk"—filled with data and analysis but uplifting and inspirational as well! You had quite a positive impact and have motivated many of these young people to think harder about their life choices and how they can make a difference in the world.”
—Dr. William Felice, Professor of Political Science, Eckerd College
