Podcast Topic: Food Insecurity
The Leading Voices in Food
Podcast Topic: Food Insecurity
E199: How USAID is working to reduce wasted food in developing countries
March 14, 2023
Today we’re looking at food waste and loss on an international scale. Did you know that over 1/3 of the world’s food is lost or wasted? In low- and middle-income countries, over 40% of food loss occurs before a crop even makes it to the market. This food loss undermines efforts to end hunger and malnutrition. Wasted food contributes 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing this challenge is critical to global food security, nutrition, and climate change mitigation.
Related podcasts: Agriculture & Tech | Climate Change, Environment & Food | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Food Waste & Implications |
E198: Why SNAP pandemic benefits for college students should continue
March 7, 2023
There has been increasing attention to the issue of food insecurity among college students. Estimates vary, but to provide some perspective, one report found that a staggering 30% of all college students experienced food insecurity at some point in their college careers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US temporarily extended the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to college-aged students. But now this pandemic help is set to expire, impacting more than three million college students who have relied on this program for food. Today we speak with Heather Taylor, a former US delegate to the United Nations, and now managing director of Bread for the World. Having experienced severe food insecurity as an undergraduate student at Georgetown University, she now advocates for SNAP expansion for college students and other marginalized groups facing food insecurity.
Related podcasts: Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Social Safety Net & Food |
E197: USDA plans for online WIC Benefits
February 28, 2023
In February, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture announced plans to streamline and modernize WIC – the Women Infants and Children Program focused on supplemental nutrition. We’ll talk about the future of WIC today with Stacy Dean, the Deputy Undersecretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.
Related podcasts: Child Development & Nutrition | COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Social Safety Net & Food |
E192: How to achieve food equity with SNAP
January 4, 2023
Today we’re speaking with coauthors of a new report by the Center for Law and Social Policy, entitled “A Community-Driven Anti-Racism Vision for SNAP.” Senior policy analyst, Parker Gilkesson, and community organizer, Tamika Moore, argue that although public benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provide critical care and support for families with low incomes, they also reinforce racism and structures of oppression.
Related podcasts: Advocacy & Food | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Social Safety Net & Food |
E190: Insights from 2nd Global Survey of School Meals
December 13, 2022
School meal programs provide children with needed meals, snacks, and even take home foods throughout the world. These programs have a tremendous impact on children’s overall nutrition, physical, and emotional development, and their academic performance, as you can imagine. Much can be learned from a project that is entitled The Global Survey of School Meal Programs. Today we will be speaking about the second such survey with Global Child Nutrition Foundation Research Coordinator, Ayala Wineman, from Michigan State University.
Related podcasts: Child Development & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | School Meals |
E187: FDA role in national strategy to end hunger
November 14, 2022
In September of 2022, the White House held the first conference focused on hunger, nutrition, and health, in 50 years. The convening served as the Biden-Harris administration’s call-to-action to end hunger, and increase healthy eating, and the physical activity among Americans, by the year 2030. But how successful was this event in actually catalyzing a national strategy? We’ll hear perspectives on this from Dr. Susan Mayne, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration.
Related podcasts: Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Social Safety Net & Food |
E186: Deep dive into challenges people face accessing food pantries
November 7, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted the US food chain and has heightened attention on nonprofit food pantries and soup kitchens. Today’s guest argues that sometimes the people most in need of food face the most challenges in getting it because of food pantry operating procedures. Our guest, Alana Stein has conducted research on these issues at the University of California at Davis.
Related podcasts: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | Food Insecurity |
E176: Insights from a nationwide survey of hunger relief organizations during COVID
July 20, 2022
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, much of the US was in lockdown. Many people had lost jobs or could not work from home during that time and struggled to pay their bills. Shortages of food and other basic necessities were common. Many people needed help during this time. Charitably-funded volunteer staff organizations like soup kitchens and food pantries suddenly found themselves on the front line of a massive ongoing food relief emergency. Many of them did heroic work. We’re speaking today with the co-authors of a new report titled, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on US Hunger Relief Organizations, from August and November of 2020.” Gizem Templeton is a researcher at Duke University’s World Food Policy Center. Alison Cohen, formerly of WhyHunger, is a research consultant on the project. And Suzanne Babb is the director of US programs at WhyHunger.
Related podcasts: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on Food | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Banks, Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | Philanthropy & Food Systems |
E173: Special Episode | Power & Benefit on the Plate: A History of Food in Durham, NC
June 29, 2022
So why is the food history of a community so important? And can Durham’s food history be applied to other places? Who owns land, who can grow food and make a living doing so, and who has access to food, any food, least of all healthy food? The answers are deeply influenced by historical policies and practices. These in retrospect, clearly exacerbated, supported, and even created food related calamities, the dual burden communities face of both food insecurity and diet related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Understanding these practices is important in creating change. And in understanding that conditions imposed on neighborhoods rather than personal failings of residents explain what we see today.
Related podcasts: Community & Economic Development | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | History & Food | North Carolina |
E169: Ending Childhood Malnutrition is Within our Grasp
June 1, 2022
So what percentage of the world’s children do you believe suffer from physical or mental stunting due to nutrition and food shortages? How lasting do you think these effects are and what can be done? Today’s guest is Sharman Russell, author of the new book, Within Our Grasp: Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide and the Revolution Taking Place to End It. Among the reviews for the book, The Sunday Times of London said “Every page holds a revelation.”
Related podcasts: Child Development & Nutrition | Childhood Obesity | Diet & Nutrition | Equity, Race & Food Justice | Food Insecurity | Food Policy | International Food & Ag Policy |