The End of Cheap Food with Kristine Root

Why does “cheap” food cost us so much? In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave talks with Kristine Root, founder of the branding and growth marketing agency Socha, about her new report, The End of Cheap Food. Kristine traces how U.S. farm policy and an all-out push for efficiency built a food system that looks inexpensive at the register. Along the way, the real costs moved into our healthcare systems, our soil, and our farmers’ livelihoods. They dig into how what we grow and how we grow it shape the nutrition on our plates, from heirloom tomatoes to regeneratively raised beef. They also ask why a perfect-looking strawberry can leave us unsatisfied. Then they turn to marketing, and how transparency, a three-second hook, and a deeper story can help people choose foods that are better for their health and the planet. Along the way they cover beans as the next marketing hero, teaching kids to cook, food as medicine, and what it would take for the highest-quality food to also be the most accessible. Read the free report, The End of Cheap Food: https://www.sochabranding.com/the-end-of-cheap-food-2026-report #FoodiePharmacology #EndOfCheapFood #FoodSystems #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #NutrientDensity #FoodMarketing #FoodAsMedicine