Corby Kummer

Corby Kummer is a food writer and editor. He serves as executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute, a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science, and a senior editor of The Atlantic, where he originated a vertical on food, sustainability, policy, and food justice. Kummer has contributed to shaping national conversations on food systems, sustainable agriculture, and food policy through his work at The Atlantic and other major publications.

Kummer has written a longstanding column on food and cooking, with a focus on Italian cuisine, sustainable farming, and food production processes. He has served as restaurant critic for New York, Boston, and Atlanta magazines and as a food and food policy columnist for The New Republic. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, PBS, Chicago Tribune, MIT Technology Review, Smithsonian Magazine, Vanity Fair, and other outlets.

Kummer is the author of "The Joy of Coffee" and "The Pleasures of Slow Food," the first English-language book on the slow food movement. His Atlantic series on coffee explored the culture, production, and brewing of coffee, influencing both consumers and suppliers. "The Joy of Coffee" has been recognized as a definitive resource on the subject. "The Pleasures of Slow Food" examines local artisans and traditional food practices.

Kummer appears regularly on television and radio, including weekly commentary on WGBH's Boston Public Radio and as a judge on The Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay." He is frequently quoted on topics related to food justice, food culture, and food policy in the United States. As executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute, Kummer oversees initiatives such as the Food Leaders Fellowship, Food is Medicine, Open Access, and Conversations on Food Justice.

Kummer is the recipient of six James Beard Journalism Awards for food writing and has been a finalist for the National Magazine Awards. Julia Child described Kummer as a food writer who takes his work seriously and conducts thorough research. With a career spanning award-winning journalism, institutional leadership, and public commentary, Kummer is recognized for his expertise in food culture, food policy, and food justice in the United States.