
Each episode of Why It Matters breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
Episodes

2 days ago
Why It Matters Live!: Food Diplomacy
2 days ago
2 days ago
Host Gabrielle Sierra and podcast guests Johanna Mendelson Forman and Matthew Costello discuss food diplomacy, share stories from White House state dinners, and unpack how food has helped to create lasting international partnerships.
This taping was originally recorded on April 17, 2025.
Featured Guests
Johanna Mendelson Forman (Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of International Service)
Matthew Costello (Chief Education Officer and Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at the White House Historical Association)