Q&A with Katherine Miller: ‘Pick an issue, get smart and get started’

Deciding what’s for dinner might not seem like a political act, but behind every meal is a complex web of public policy, shaping everything from the crops farmers grow to the labels on grocery store shelves. Renowned strategist, advocate and author Katherine Miller understands that what we eat is one of the most personal — and political — choices we make every day.

Miller, author of “At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy,” is the founding executive director of the Chef Action Network, former vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation and the first-ever food policy fellow at American University’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics. She has also been named one of the most innovative women in food by Fortune and Food & Wine magazines. Through her work, Miller shares actionable advocacy tools and resources to help people drive change in our food system.

On Friday, Oct. 16, Miller will deliver the keynote address at “Closing the Circle: Roots, Remedies & Rescue,” an event hosted by UCLA’s Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, Food Cycle LA and End Hunger LA. The conference, which is free to attend but requires advance registration, brings experts, advocates and scholars to UCLA’s Hershey Hall to explore topics including urban and regenerative agriculture, food as medicine, and scalable regional food recovery and redistribution efforts.

Before the event, Miller shared her thoughts on policy changes to address food waste and offered tips for individuals interested in getting more involved in food advocacy.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Your book offers advocacy tools and resources for chefs. What advice do you have for individuals interested in advocating for a safer and more sustainable food system in their own communities?

Chefs are people, too. So, the same rules apply: First: Pick an issue. It’s hard to stay focused and go deep if you’re trying to advocate for dozens of different things. You’ll be a more powerful and effective voice if you’re focused.

Two: Get smart on the issues. Not everything is found on Reddit. Get out and meet experts, visit organizations, volunteer. The best advocacy isn’t transactional but based in real relationships and experiences.

Third: Show up. Consistently. Organizations and nonprofits don’t just need your likes or shares — they need you showing up for rallies, volunteer days, lobby days, fundraisers. And they need you showing up regularly — they need to be able to count on you.

I also want people to know they don’t have to be perfect. Advocacy is an ongoing effort, so it’s never going to be perfect or end up exactly how you want it to — and that’s okay. Just stay focused, keep learning and keep showing up.

LA County generates an estimated 4,000 tons of food waste daily, while 1 in 4 residents face food insecurity. Why has this gap been so hard to close, and what structural policy shifts are needed to fix it?

Hunger and food waste are policy choices. We can’t charity our way out of either. Without meaningful changes to wage models, better social supports such as affordable daycare, affordable housing and consistent public transportation, it’s going to be hard to end poverty and eliminate hunger. And each of those is a choice of what we prioritize, what our public officials prioritize, when it comes to spending our tax dollars. When you look at countries with low rates of unemployment and high rates of achievement, a common dominator is they prioritize people (e.g. education, healthcare, wages, transportation, etc.) over things like weapons systems and corporate subsidies.

The same is true of food waste. There are some simple policy fixes that would make it easier to reduce food waste — let’s start with national standards for “use by” and “sell by” dates, along with community-funded solutions for composting and waste pickup.

But I also want to be clear that just because there is a huge problem with the amount of food being wasted, not all that food can end up in someone’s pantry. Waste happens at the farm, the store, the restaurant and in our homes. So, it’s not just a simple if we reduce food waste, we’ll end hunger. That’s not the whole equation. We need policy fixes to help reduce waste, but we also need policy fixes to help ensure everyone can afford and access food.

How do we modernize food safety regulations for local rescue networks and regional growers without compromising public health?

It’s clear that some policies and practices have complicated the lives of consumers, farmers and advocates. We need a clear national standard for “use by,” “sell by” and “best by” dates — and not a patchwork of laws and regulations that vary by state and even city.

We also need more education about the Emerson Act or the Good Food Samaritan Act. This law, which was updated in 2025, helps protect restaurants, grocery stores, caterers, farmers, gleaners, food trucks, schools, corporations and nonprofit organizations from liability and makes it much easier for folks to donate food. The rules are pretty simple: If you buy it but don’t prepare it, you can usually donate it. If you prepare it but don’t plate it — such as making a catering tray of macaroni and cheese — you can usually donate it. But a lot of businesses don’t know that, and most are terrified of getting people sick and then getting sued. So, the Emerson Act helps better define donation and protect folks from liability. So, more education about the Emerson Act would be a good first step.

How can scholars and frontline food advocates better partner to turn academic data into real-world legislation?

The biggest and most frequent mistake that food advocates and researchers make is not marrying data with the stories and narratives that bring that data to life. Too often, academics want to try and explain the problem in their language. But we have to effectively meet our audiences — those who have the power to do the thing you need them to do — where they are and explain things in terms and ways that they can understand and relate to. Too often, people publish reports that don’t actually make it easy to follow the story. The reports also don’t make it easy for people to understand what they can do once they’ve absorbed the information. Every report needs to have a clear ask or action — even if that is just to learn more.

You’ve described advocacy as a “walk through the forest” where people move at different paces. Given how heavy topics like food insecurity and climate change can feel, how do food advocates stay energized for the long haul?

Advocates need to give themselves the grace and opportunity to rest. I’ve seen people think that only they can do the work, or without them, the problem will only get worse (or at least won’t get better). That’s not true. There are hundreds of thousands of people working to reduce food waste around the country and the world. I once worked with a 14-year-old in France to pass some of the first food waste laws in the country. I work with farmers on gleaning operations in New York and Seattle. I’ve helped organize lobby days and public advertising campaigns. This work is going on 24/7. We didn’t create these problems overnight, and we’re not going to solve them all tomorrow. So be a part of it, choose your role and your lane, but also know you can tag out and rest when you need to. The world needs all the voices, all the advocates — but take care of yourself.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Advocacy can be scary. We’re in an increasingly divided and hostile environment. It can feel like a risk to share information about the causes you care about online or on campus. But you will find your people, and they will find you. So just take the first step. Pick an issue, get smart and get started.


Learn more about the Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies.