Episode summary
Why does Myanmar, often called the "rice bowl of Southeast Asia," continue to struggle with high rates of malnutrition? In this episode, journalist Thin Lei Win helps us unpack how political decisions, land ownership, and regional power dynamics shape food systems in Myanmar and beyond. We explore how issues like palm oil expansion and rice production connect to wider challenges around climate and biodiversity—and why lasting change remains difficult without addressing structural inequalities. Still, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Thin shares why she’s inspired by a new generation of journalists and activists working toward more just and sustainable food futures across Southeast Asia.
About the guest
Thin Lei Win
Thin Lei Win is an award-winning multimedia journalist with more than 15 years experience. For nearly 13 years, she was a correspondent with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Thomson Reuters global news agency, reporting on humanitarian issues, particularly climate change and food security. Thin has worked from Myanmar (where she is from), Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Italy, where she is currently based. Thin founded the award-winning bilingual news agency Myanmar Now in the run-up to the Myanmar elections in 2015. And she co-founded The Kite Tales, a unique storytelling and preservation project chronicling the lives and histories of ordinary people across Myanmar.merican journalist and author who covers public policy and national politics.
Thin is a lead reporter on food systems at Lighthouse Reports and creator of Thin Ink is a weekly publication on food, climate and where they meet. Subscribe to Thin Ink here.
About the host
Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson is a food and climate journalist, based in West Africa. He writes for global media outlets such as the Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Sunday Times, and is the editor of TABLE's newsletter Fodder. You can read some of his work here.
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