Carolyna de laurentiis biography of abraham

1). Ever since you were a little girl, you have grown up around one of the most delicious and healthiest diets around: A Mediterranean one. How has growing up as an Italian, in an Italian family, influenced your love for food?

As a first-generation Italian-American, growing up in what was essentially a Neapolitan household, food had a near-religious importance in my life and the dinner table was considered a sacred space. Dinner – always at 6:30 – was a nightly ritual that anchored my childhood: the fresh pasta, the sizzling eggplant, the stories we shared. As I grew up and ventured away from home, dinner continued to be a unifying force in my life; however, I also began to see food beyond merely the personal, realizing it could be a means to unveiling social, political, economic and environmental issues.

2). Growing up, like most children and teenagers, you must have had a wide range of interests. What nurtured your passion for food, and was it something that began as a child and continued throughout your growth?

I’ve had exemplary role models within the food world— my Grandfather (my dad’s dad) had a pasta manufacturing plant in the early 1900s back in Naples, Italy. Unfortunately, I never had an opportunity to meet him, but having heard my father tell stories about his experiences working at the plant and selling pasta along the Amalfi coast reaffirmed my connection with food and how deep my “food” roots really go! Gigi, the first Chef that my dad hired when he opened DDL Foodshow in NYC during the 1980s, is like a brother to me. He first taught me the importance of maintaining a clean work space in the kitchen and showed me how to make my grandmother’s “pastiera” (Italian Cheesecake). And my (niece) Giada De Laurentiis, who has really been a mentor to me throughout my studies and career. When I was 16 I had an opportunity to work on her Food Network Show “Giada at Home”; ultimately, her passion for food and cooking really inspired me to pursue a career in food.

3). You studied at the University of Pennsylvania. What did you major in?

As a Political Science major, I took a course in the politics of food, which inspired me to delve deeper into understanding the ramifications of our current food systems. After completing an independent study focused on sustainable fishing practices in the United States, I possessed a newfound interest in the greater issues at play within the slow food movement.

4). When did you first realize that you wanted to work professionally in the food industry, and how did your experience at University influence the decision?

While living in Philadelphia I loved eating out, exploring food festivals, and interning at Starr Restaurants (a leading hospitality group in Philly and NYC).

5). What has been your favourite thing about working in the food industry so far, and is there any particular moment that you are the most proud of?

My experiences in hospitality have been shaped by New York City. It’s difficult for me not to conflate my work with my experiences living here. My favorite thing, just generally, is the feeling that work isn’t actually “work”– My work, which entails meeting with chefs, farmers and food writers, blends seamlessly into my free time, which I enjoy spending eating out, attending festivals, cooking and writing! I’m really proud of having taken a risk to move out to New York—My whole family is back in LA and it would have been easy for me to move home. Having lived on my own and created a life for myself on the East Coast has been incredibly rewarding.

6). Who has been your biggest influence in the industry? Do you have a role model or a favourite chef?

In addition to the role models I listed above, Alice Waters has had a huge influence on me. Alice revolutionized farm-to-table dining many years ago in California, and she continues to be an inspiration in the culinary world, while utilizing her status to positively impact the environment and health climate in the U.S.

7). One of the best things about food is that it is so diverse—to each their own. Do you have a favourite culture of food? What is your favourite dish?

Italian…Pasta con vongole! Or, Thai…Pad Thai! Really just any kind of noodle.

8. You have joined the ranks of women like First Lady Michelle Obama in championing the Health Cause in the United States of America. What has this experience been like for you, and what are some of the most profound challenges you have faced thus far?

Well first off, it would be a dream to join the ranks of women like the First Lady… It would be an understatement to say that there is still a long ways for me to go. However, having had the opportunity to work in an industry that I’m passionate about while simultaneously working to create positive social and environmental change is incredibly rewarding. I’ve found my personal journey to be the most challenging—what I want to do twenty years down the line continues to evolve everyday.

9). You are a Director of Marketing for FarmersWeb in New York, New York. Tell us about FarmersWeb, and what its mission is.

By providing an access point for many local farmers to sell their products while streamlining logistics needs and keeping overall costs low, FarmersWeb’s platform helps small farms see revenues year-round. Moreover, FarmersWeb gives wholesale buyers a more efficient means of sourcing ingredients for schools, commissaries and restaurants when buying through greenmarkets proves too costly.

10). What do you find to be the most effective medium to market with nowadays, and what are some outlets that FarmersWeb uses to market themselves?

Because we are trying to have an impact on the local food economy, while educating consumers on the importance of sourcing local and sustainably produced food, we’ve utilized several tools to help us in our “cause marketing”. I’ve found Google Analytics to be a great way to track movement on our website, while evaluating the costs and benefits of using Google Adwords as a way to get the word out. Also, of course, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have been great tools to engaging the community at large around some of the issues at play within the slow food movement, while word of mouth simultaneously builds awareness and credibility around our brand.

11). You recently posted a blog entry for the Huffington Post about the opaqueness of poor health due to contemporary agribusiness. In many cases, there is a global neglect to acknowledge this. Clearly, the effects have been drastic and have cost the economy. What do you feel are the most vital steps that can be taken to eliminate some of the health challenges that we face today?

This is a complicated question— it boils down to the private sector, the public sector, and the consumer. To put it broadly, more businesses need to make a commitment to the environment and to health within the US, government needs to implement robust measures to incentivize these developments, and consumers need to continue to demand quality and responsibly sourced products.

12). What would you say are the most vital benefits of embracing organic/natural produce

Putting aside the discourse of food label efficacy, organic guarantees a minimum of healthfulness to our bodies and to the environment that conventionally farmed products may not. The benefit to buying organic meat is that no animal byproducts have been used to make the livestock feed, and no synthetic fertilizers nor pesticides have been used to produce fruits and vegetables. (See #16 for more info). Unfortunately, the “natural” label in the United States has not been standardized and can be misleading.

13). Many argue that the key to third world development is an emphasis on self-sustainability through agriculture, for example. How do you feel the situation in developing countries could be improved, and how could an emphasis on agriculture help to improve it?

Well farming can positively impact any regional economy. To put it simply, farms employ people and feed people. I think that as globalization continues to place the purchasing power in the hands of few corporate and international food brands businesses will be able to significantly change the world on a scale that has been historically reserved for governments. Many large food corporations need to continue to invest money into international farmland to ensure farm and village communities are being developed responsibly, which positively impacts business practices, the livelihood of suppliers, the environment, and the quality of food being sold.

14). Which countries do you feel are making the best progress in the health of their population, and why? Who can we look to as an example?

While the United States’ life expectancy is the lowest and the obesity rate is the highest among industrialized countries, Japan has the highest life expectancy and lowest rate of obesity among industrialized countries. Why exactly these facts exist requires a comprehensive understanding of the health, political and cultural climate in both nations, but it’s evident that the Japanese seem to be doing something right!

15). What have been some of the most prominent challenges faced in contemporary agribusiness, and how can people help them?

Through my work on the wholesale side of the food industry at FarmersWeb — an e-commerce platform connecting local farms to wholesale buyers like restaurants and schools — I have seen firsthand a variety of issues affecting agribusiness, slow food and health when it comes to producing, sourcing, distributing, transporting and selling local food. From a small family farm being unable to afford the price tag of organic certification, to farmers lacking access to city markets, there is a long list of reasons why thousands of small-scale farms have difficulty bringing delicious, affordable and environmentally responsible goods to market. By casting your vote for local food, or spending your hard-earned money on food that has been responsibly made and sourced, it will create a greater demand for local food and simultaneously support farms that need it the most.

16). How do you feel the use of organic produce would help to promote a cleaner environment?

While the “organic” label is a step in the right direction, unfortunately it is not the answer. The organic label in America cannot be blindly trusted, and some large-scale organic farms are no better off than their conventional counterparts. Factory organic farms often substitute organic fertilizers and pesticides for synthetic ones, employ use of fossil fuels, and may subject livestock to inhumane treatment commonly associated with conventional feedlots. To promote a cleaner environment know your farmer and look for “antibiotic-free”, “pesticide-free”, “pasture-raised”, and “local” food stuffs.

17). How is FarmersWeb working to make healthy food more widespread and available to multiple social classes?

FarmersWeb, working on the wholesale side of the food industry, increases access to local and responsibly produced food to restaurants, commissaries, schools, and retailers in New York City. Right now we are located in Manhattan, however, are hoping to expand our reach to other communities within the North East. By focusing on the wholesale side of the industry, FarmersWeb brings affordable farm-fresh and artisanal products to buyers when purchasing goods at retail prices at farmers markets proves too costly.

18). In which ways do you think the Health Care system in the United States would benefit from distributing healthier food to their patients?

Well it’s astonishing to me that McDonald’s is allowed to sell burgers in hospital cafeterias. It goes to show that the supply of “affordable” food in this country is heavily reliant on fast food (remember that food isn’t cheap now anyway; the real cost of producing conventional food & cheap food has been shifted from the register to the taxpayer, in the form of crop subsidies, to patients, in the form of increasing health care costs, and the environment, in the form of pollution). Making healthy food affordable and accessible will require that consumers support the sale of local food and that government officials pass food policies that promote responsible farming, community gardens, and require food and beverages purchased with government funds to meet certain nutrition standards.

19). What are your goals for the future? What would you like to see happen within the Food Industry?

My goal is to have a positive and lasting impact on the way that food is produced, sourced, distributed, and sold in this country.

20). Do you have any advice for people interested in working in the food or health industry in the future?

The best way to learn is by working and trying new things. I’ve worked almost every position in the restaurant industry, and while I may not have enjoyed waitressing very much, I was able to learn hospitality operations from the ground up and eat some really good food.

If you are feeling inspired by Carolyna’s story, and would like to learn more, read more HERE:

http://carolynadelaurentiis.blogspot.ie/

Carolyna’s Huffington Post Blog Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carolyna-de-laurentiis/cast-your-vote-for-local-_b_2541927.html

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynadelaurentiis2010

If you would like to learn more about FarmersWeb, and are feeling inspired by their mission, read more HERE and LIKE their page @:

https://www.facebook.com/FarmersWeb?fref=ts

https://www.farmersweb.com/