Frances Moore Lappé (born February 10, 1944) is an American researcher and author in the field of food and democracy policy. She is the author of 20 books including the 2.5-million-copy selling 1971 book ''
Diet for a Small Planet'', which
the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, education and research centers, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trus ...
's
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...
describes as "one of the most influential political tracts of the times." She has co-founded three organizations that explore the roots of hunger, poverty, and environmental crises, as well as solutions emerging worldwide through what she calls "living democracy". Her latest work is a report entitled ''Crisis of Trust: How Can Democracies Protect Against Dangerous Lies?'' with Max Boland and Rachel Madison. Recent books by Lappé include ''Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want'', co-authored with Adam Eichen, and ''It’s Not Too Late: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Power of Hope''. In 1987, she was awarded the
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award is an international award to "honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob vo ...
for "revealing the political and economic causes of world hunger and how citizens can help to remedy them."
Early life
Lappé was born in 1944 in
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon, Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are ...
, to John and Ina Moore and grew up in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
. After graduating from
Earlham College
Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...
in 1966, she married toxicologist and environmentalist Dr. Marc Lappé in 1967. They have two children, Anthony and
Anna Lappé. She briefly attended
University of California at Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...
for graduate studies in social work.
Career
Political, nutritional and environmental research
Throughout her works Lappé has argued that world hunger is caused not by the lack of food but rather by the inability of hungry people to gain access to the abundance of food that exists in the world and/or food-producing resources because they are simply too poor. She has posited that our current "thin democracy" creates a maldistribution of power and resources that inevitably creates waste and an artificial scarcity of the essentials for
sustainable living
Sustainable living describes a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint (including their carbo ...
.
Lappé makes the argument that what she calls "living democracy", i.e., democracy understood as a way of life, is not merely a structure of government. The three conditions essential for democracy, she writes in ''Daring Democracy'' and elsewhere, are the wide dispersion of power, transparency in public affairs, and a culture of mutual accountability, not blaming. These three conditions enable humans to experience a sense of agency, meaning, and connection, which she describes as the essence of human dignity. Democracy is not only what we do in the voting booth but involves our daily choices of what we buy and how we live. She believes that only by "living democracy" can we effectively solve today's social and environmental crises.
Lappé began her writing career early in life. She first gained prominence in the early 1970s with the publication of her book ''
Diet for a Small Planet'', which has sold 2.5 million copies.
In 1975, with Joseph Collins, she launched the California-based
Institute for Food and Development Policy
Food First, also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, US. Founded in 1975 by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins, it describes itself as a "people's think tank and ...
(Food First) to educate Americans about the causes of world hunger. In 1990, Lappé co-founded the Center for Living Democracy, a nine-year initiative to accelerate the spread of democratic innovations in which regular citizens contribute to problem-solving. She served as founding editor of the center's American News Service (1995–2000), which placed stories of citizen problem-solving in nearly half the nation's largest newspapers.
In 2002, Lappé and her daughter Anna established the Small Planet Institute based in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, a collaborative network for research and popular education to bring democracy to life. With her daughter, she traveled the world and wrote ''Hope's Edge.'' The two also co-founded the Small Planet Fund, channeling resources to democratic social movements worldwide.
In 2006 she was chosen as a founding councilor of the Hamburg-based
World Future Council
The World Future Council (WFC) is a German non-profit foundation with its headquarters in Hamburg. It works to pass on a healthy and sustainable planet with just and peaceful societies to future generations.
FuturePolicy.org
The futurepol ...
. She is also a member of the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture and the National Advisory Board of the
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in the United States. The UCS membership includes many private citizens in addition to professional scientists. Anne Kapuscinski, Professor of Environment ...
. She serves as an advisor to the Calgary Centre for Global Community and on the board of
David Korten
David C. Korten (born 1937) is an American author, former professor of the Harvard Business School, Activism, political activist, prominent critic of corporate globalization, and "by training and inclination a student of psychology and behavioral ...
's People-Centered Development Forum. In 2009 she joined the advisory board of
Corporate Accountability International's Value the Meal campaign.
Lappé is a Contributing Editor to ''
YES! Magazine''.
Teaching positions
Lappé has also held various teaching and scholarly positions:
*From 1984 to 1985, she was a visiting scholar at the Institute for the Study of Social Change at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
.
*From 2000 to 2001, she was a visiting scholar at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
*In 2003, she taught with
Dr. Vandana Shiva in
Dehra Dun, India, about the roots of world hunger, sponsored by the
Navdanya researching and agricultural demonstration center.
*In 2004, she taught a course on "living democracy" at
Schumacher College
Schumacher College was based on the Dartington Hall estate near Totnes, Devon, England, and offered ecology-centred degree programmes, short courses and horticultural programmes from 1991 until 2024. It was attended by students from all over t ...
in England.
*In 2006 and 2008, she was a visiting professor at
Suffolk University
Suffolk University is a private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. With 7,560 students on all campuses, it is the List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston, tenth-largest university ...
in Boston.
* In 2013–2014, she was the Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Fellow in Environmental Studies at
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...
in Maine.
* In 2021, Frances was Indiana University's Patten Lecturer.
Recognition
Historian
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian and a veteran of World War II. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political science professor at Boston University. Zinn ...
wrote: "A small number of people in every generation are forerunners, in thought, action, spirit, who swerve past the barriers of greed and power to hold a torch high for the rest of us. Lappé is one of those." ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' says: "Some of the twentieth century's most vibrant activist thinkers have been American women –
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist, author and speaker, who appeared frequently in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s.
She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard Col ...
,
Jeannette Rankin
Jeannette Pickering Rankin (June 11, 1880 – May 18, 1973) was an American politician and women's rights advocate who became the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as ...
,
Barbara Ward,
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day, Oblate#Secular oblates, OblSB (November 8, 1897 – November 29, 1980) was an American journalist, social activist and Anarchism, anarchist who, after a bohemianism, bohemian youth, became a Catholic Church, Catholic without aba ...
– who took it upon themselves to pump life into basic truths. Frances Moore Lappé is among them."
In 2008, she was honored by the
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is an American non-profit culinary arts organization based in New York City. It was named after James Beard, a food writer, teacher, and cookbook author. Its programs include guest-chef dinners to scholarships for asp ...
as the Humanitarian of the Year.
List of 2008 James Beard award winners
/ref> In the same year, ''Gourmet Magazine
''Gourmet'' magazine was a monthly publication of Condé Nast Publications, Condé Nast and the first U.S. magazine devoted to food and wine. The New York Times noted that "''Gourmet'' was to food what ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' is to fashion." ...
'' named Lappé among 25 people (including Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, Upton Sinclair
Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) was an American author, muckraker journalist, and political activist, and the 1934 California gubernatorial election, 1934 Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
, and Julia Child
Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
), whose work has changed the way America eats. ''Diet for a Small Planet'' was selected as one of ''75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World'' by members of the Women's National Book Association in observance of its 75th anniversary.
Lappé has received 20 honorary doctorates from distinguished institutions, including the University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, Kenyon College
Kenyon College ( ) is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private instituti ...
, Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a member of the G ...
, Lewis and Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1867 and is situated on the historic M. Lloyd Frank Estate in South Portland's Collins View neighborhood. It is composed of three distinct but adja ...
, Grinnell College
Grinnell College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalis ...
and University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...
. In 1987 in Sweden, Lappé became the fourth American to receive the Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award is an international award to "honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob vo ...
. In 2003, she received the Rachel Carson Award from the National Nutritional Foods Association. She was selected as one of twelve living "women whose words have changed the world" by the Women's National Book Association.
Family
Lappé's son, Anthony, is a New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based, award-winning media producer (Invisible Hand Media), whose work has appeared on Vice.com
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company V ...
and the History Channel
History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the General Entertainment Content division of The Wa ...
. Her daughter, Anna, who lives in Berkeley, California, is the author of ''Grub'' and ''Diet for a Hot Planet''. She is the executive director of Global Alliance for the Future of Food.
Writings
Frances Moore Lappé's works have been translated into 15 languages, the most recent of which is a Chinese publication of ''Hope's Edge''.[New Chinese Publication Promotes Global Outreach of Ideas](_blank)
, Small Planet Institute (February 2011)
* '' Diet for a Small Planet'', Ballantine Books, 1971, 1975, 1982, 1991, 2021.
* ''Great Meatless Meals'' (with Ellen Buchman Ewald), Ballantine Books, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1985.
* ''Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity'' (co-authored by Joseph Collins, collaboration with Cary Fowler), Houghton Mifflin, 1977, Ballantine Books, 1979.
* ''Mozambique and Tanzania: Asking the Big Questions'' (with Adele Beccar-Varela), Institute for Food and Development Policy, 1980.
* ''Aid as Obstacle'' (with Joseph Collins and David Kinley), Food First, 1980.
* ''Now We Can Speak'' (with Joseph Collins), Food First, 1982.
* ''What To Do After You Turn Off the T.V.'', Ballantine Books, 1985.
* ''World Hunger: Twelve Myths'' (with Joseph Collins), Grove Press, 1986, 1998.
* ''Betraying the National Interest'' (with Rachel Schurman and Kevin Danaher), Food First, 1987.
* ''Rediscovering America's Values'', Ballantine Books, 1989.
* ''Taking Population Seriously'' (with Rachel Schurman), Food First, 1990.
* ''The Quickening of America: Rebuilding Our Nation, Remaking Our Lives'' (with Paul Martin Du Bois), Jossey-Bass, 1994.
* ''Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet'' (with Anna Lappé), Tarcher/Penguin, 2002.
* ''You Have the Power: Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear'' (with Jeffrey Perkins), Tarcher/Penguin, 2004.
* ''Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life'', Jossey-Bass, 2005.
* ''Getting A Grip: Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad'', Small Planet Media, 2007, 2010.
* ''EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want'', Small Planet Media, 2011.
* ''World Hunger: Ten Myths'' (with Joseph Collins), Grove Press, 2015.
* ''Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want'' (co-authored by Adam Eichen), Beacon Press, 2017.
* ''It’s Not Too Late: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Power of Hope'', Small Planet Institute, 2021.
* ''Crisis of Trust: How Can Democracies Protect Against Dangerous Lies?'' (with Max Boland and Rachel Madison), Small Planet Institute, 2023.
References
External links
Small Planet Institute
Interview on Humankind Public Radio
;Recent articles
The New York Times Magazine Interview 2019: Frances Moore Lappé changed how we eat. She wants to do the same for our democracy.
Retire Ronald McDonald--Do it for our kids!
Frances writes that Ronald McDonald should be retired and McDonald's should halt advertising to kids, March 2010
The Movement Mother
An interview of Frances Moore Lappé with her son, Anthony Lappé, June 2009
The City that Ended Hunger
Frances writes about the city of Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
, Brazil in ''Yes Magazine''February 2009
;Videos
* Frances Moore Lappé on Fox News
*
Interview on ''Democracy Now!''
July 9, 2008
* An interview with Mike McCormick, producer of Mind Over Matters, July 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lappe, Frances Moore
American democracy activists
Writers about activism and social change
American motivational writers
Women motivational writers
American food writers
American cookbook writers
Nautilus Book Award winners
Earlham College alumni
People from Pendleton, Oregon
1944 births
Living people
Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from Oregon
Soy researchers
American women food writers
American political writers
American women non-fiction writers
21st-century American women