Julia Johnson
Julia Johnson on Faith, Farming, and the Sacredness of Food Systems
Julia Johnson
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
2025
“We’re called to expand our sense of neighbor—across species, ecosystems, and supply chains.”
In this episode of Reflections on Religion and Ecology: Yale Alumni Speak from the Field, Julia Johnson—advocate, theologian, and food systems reformer—joins host Tali Anisfeld to explore the deep ties between animal welfare, regenerative agriculture, and spiritual responsibility. With clarity and compassion, she reflects on what it means to be a voice for the voiceless in both the field and the pew.
Julia is Head of Food Business USA at Compassion in World Farming, where she partners with farmers, corporations, and communities to build a more just and humane food system. With degrees in anthrozoology and divinity, her work draws from data, theology, and embodied care.
In this episode, we explore:
– How faith led Julia to the frontlines of food justice
– The spiritual symbolism of food, soil, and regeneration
– What it means to be a neighbor in a system of disconnection
– The role of Christian ethics in expanding the moral circle
– How biodiversity and animal welfare go hand in hand
Julia Johnson on Finding Faith at the Crossroads of Food and Farming
Julia Johnson
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
2025
In this grounded and heartfelt conversation, Julia Johnson shares how her spiritual calling led her to the fields—literally. She unpacks her path to food justice, ecological healing, and sacred stewardship, revealing how farming became both prayer and practice. For Julia, the soil is holy and the animals are kin.
Julia Johnson on Expanding "Neighbor" and Holding Hope in Dark Times
Julia Johnson
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
2025
What does it mean to love your neighbor when your neighbor is a pig, a forest, or a watershed? Julia Johnson reflects on the religious roots of her work in regenerative agriculture, reminding us that hope isn't naïve—it’s rooted. In this conversation, she invites us to expand our moral imagination and reconnect hope to relationship.
Julia Johnson on Building a Regenerative Food System Rooted in Trust
Julia Johnson
Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
2025
Julia Johnson outlines her vision for a regenerative food system that goes beyond farming practices—it’s about people, power, and integrity. In this clip, she lifts up her work building networks of trust among producers, and the values that drive real change: animal welfare, biodiversity, and shared purpose.