The Hidden Connection Between Food, Fashion, Farming and Human Health

Summary

Dr. Scott Stoll speaks with sustainable-fashion pioneer Marci Zaroff about the connections among food, clothing, farming, human health, and the environment. Zaroff argues that food and textiles both begin with agricultural systems. Understanding what products are made from—and how their ingredients or fibers are grown—can reveal their wider impacts.

Key Points

• Look back to the source. Ask where a product comes from, what it is made of, how it was produced, and who produced it. Cotton, for example, is connected to both food and clothing. Farming practices can also affect soil, water, and farmers’ livelihoods.
• Consider what you wear as well as what you eat. The speakers discuss concerns about pesticide-intensive cotton production and the growing use of synthetic, plastic-based fibers. Synthetic textiles can shed microfibers during washing and contribute to waste and pollution.
• Buy more thoughtfully, not impulsively. Zaroff’s practical suggestions include:
  • Read product labels rather than relying on advertising.
  • Research the brands and companies you support.
  • Avoid buying new virgin synthetic fibers where possible.
  • Seek out natural fibers, especially organic or regeneratively produced ones.
  • Keep clothing in use through secondhand shopping, renting, repairing, reusing, and upcycling.
  • Don’t throw away everything you already own; make gradual changes over time.
• Think beyond “doing less harm.” Zaroff distinguishes sustainability from regeneration. Regeneration aims to restore and improve soil, biodiversity, and agricultural systems rather than merely reduce damage. Practices she describes include crop rotation, cover crops, intercropping, green manures, and reduced or no tillage.
• Make better choices accessible and appealing. The speakers emphasize that healthier, more responsible products should also be attractive, useful, comfortable, and fairly priced—not framed as a sacrifice.
• Reconnect people with production. Zaroff advocates for sharing the stories of farmers and materials through farms, social media, design, and popular culture. She sees collaboration among farmers, brands, consumers, artists, and policymakers as important to change.
• Change gradually and stay curious. Zaroff encourages people to try changes for themselves, notice how they feel, and take one step at a time. She hopes healthier, organic, and regenerative options will become normal rather than niche.

Marci Zaroff’s Background

Zaroff became vegetarian as a teenager, explored yoga and Eastern philosophies, and studied macrobiotic and Ayurvedic ideas before bringing together her interests in health, food, beauty, business, and fashion. She coined and trademarked “eco-fashion” in 1995.

Notable Locations, Organizations, Products, and Speakers

• Speakers: Dr. Scott Stoll and Marci Zaroff
• Locations: University of California, Berkeley; New York; Rodale Institute farm; India; Bangladesh (Rana Plaza); Ghana
• Organizations and initiatives: Institute for Integrative Nutrition; Textile Exchange; Rodale Institute; RESET; Fashion Revolution; Regeneration International; Kiss the Ground
• Brands, platforms, and examples: Aveda; Billie Eilish merchandise; Target; Patagonia; Nike; Lululemon; H&M; The RealReal; Rent the Runway; Poshmark; recycled polyester (rPET)
• Book: Eco-Renaissance: Co-Creating a Stylish, Sexy, Sustainable World by Marci Zaroff