USAID’s Kitchen Sink: A Food Loss and Waste Podcast

Our latest episode is with Vivian Maduekeh, Program Director at Partners in Food Solutions and Managing Principal of Food Health Systems Advisory. Together, we discuss the negative connotations around food processing and the important role food processing can play in reducing food loss and waste. We’ll dive deeper into the context in Africa and discuss the specific challenges and opportunities for food processors on the continent t...

Our latest episode is with Marie Bucko, National Chair of the 2024 Feds Feed Families Campaign, which collected over 12 million pounds of food donations in order to tackle food insecurity and nourish our neighbors. Feds Feed Families helps food pantries and food banks stay stocked during the summer months when they traditionally see a decrease in donations and an increase in need. By promoting volunteerism and collaboration among U...

Our latest episode is with Regina Harmon, Executive Director of Food Recovery Network, one of the largest student-driven movements against food waste and hunger that recovers and donates perishable food that would otherwise go to waste. Regina shares the story of Food Recovery Network and how they’ve successfully engaged with college students. Together, Regina and Nika discuss how to avoid “analysis paralysis” when faced with the s...

Our latest episode is with Ben Collier, CEO of Farmlink, which connects farms with surplus to food banks to feed people in need and reduce carbon emissions. Ben shares the history of Farmlink and how they are rebranding food waste as “abundance,” which is explored in their short film by the same name: “Abundance: The Farmlink Story.” Together, Ben and Nika explore the role of food rescue organizations in the effort to reduce food w...

Our latest episode is with Ken Baker, Culinary Director for Rethink Food, which aims to bridge the gap between excess food and food insecure communities by preparing restaurant-quality meals from food that has been rescued from going to waste. Together, Ken and Nika share their experiences in the restaurant industry and the important decisions restaurants make to balance food waste and profits. Ken discusses how Rethink Food transf...

Our latest episode is with Diane Letson, Vice President of Food Industry Partnerships for Feeding America,  a US–based non-profit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. Diane shares how Feeding America’s work reduces food loss and waste while fighting hunger and how partnerships wi...

Each year, USAID joins our partners in celebrating World Food Safety Day on June 7th with a month-long focus on the importance of food safety and the work, resources and tools carried out by our food safety partners. In a world where 735 million people go to bed hungry every night and 420,000 die from unsafe food every year, we simply can’t afford to lose food to contamination and spoilage. In times like these, we need to preserve ...

Our latest episode is with Robert Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, which redistributes excess food to people experiencing food insecurity. Robert shares what food rescue is and the impact it can have on reducing food waste. Additionally, we discuss how policies and regulations have shaped Rescuing Leftover Cuisine’s work and the future of food rescue.

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Our latest episode is with Rishi Banerjee, Senior Director of SmartLabel at the Consumer Brands Association. Rishi shares the type of information that SmartLabel can provide to increase transparency and how this can benefit consumers. Together, we discuss the role SmartLabel might play in reducing FLW, including information on food safety and recycling. We conclude by considering the future opportunities for digital technologies in...

Our latest episode is with Adam Fry, the Co-Founder and COO of BudgEAT. We’ve all heard the statistic that 30-40% of food produced is either lost or wasted, and consumer food waste is a large contributor to that number. The average US household wastes 32% of its food, an estimated $1,866 annually per household. During this episode, Adam and I discuss the magnitude of the problem of household food waste, what leads to consumer food ...

Our latest episode is with Kendra Stallings, Senior Scientist in the Technical Service, Food and Beverage Division at Novozymes. During this episode, we discuss what upcycling is, the impacts on sustainability and FLW, and the role of biosolutions. 

If you have an idea for an episode topic you’d like to see featured or if you would like to participate in an episode of USAID’s Kitchen Sink, please reach out to Nika Larian (...

Our latest episode is with Joanne Muchai Murunga, the Chief Operating Officer at Kentaste, a leading producer of coconut products in Kenya. Kentaste supports economic development by connecting rural farmers to an international supply chain. Moreover, Kentaste has a focus on women’s empowerment, with women representing over 50% of their senior management. Kentaste is a recent awardee through the USAID Feed the Future Food Loss and W...

Our latest episode is with Andrew Shakman, CEO of Leanpath, an industry leading food waste prevention platform. Together, we discuss the importance of food waste prevention, the need for improved and affordable measurement methods, and how to change kitchen culture to drive companies and consumers to recognize the value of food. 

If you have an idea for an episode topic you’d like to see featured or if you would like to participate ...

Our latest episode is with Chris Somogyi, CEO of EverCase, a novel technology to reduce FLW by improving cold chain technology. Together, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in climate-smart cold chain and how to catalyze innovation and new technologies to reduce FLW.

If you have an idea for an episode topic you’d like to see featured or if you would like to participate in an episode of USAID’s Kitchen Sink, please reach out...

Our latest episode is with Amanda Brondy, Vice President of International Projects at the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA). Together, we discuss how the work of GCCA contributes to FLW reduction, the importance of investing in climate-smart cold chain in emerging countries, and the opportunities for collaboration between cold chain companies and food banks to reduce FLW.

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As we celebrate the fourth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste today, it is important to highlight the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) theme “Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Taking Action to Transform Agrifood Systems.” Today’s special episode of the USAID Kitchen Sink FLW Podcast explores the economic case for FLW: what are the economic impacts, what are the trade-offs, and how can we achieve the economic b...

This month, USAID is hosting a Food Loss and Waste Theme Month on Agrilinks to recognize the fourth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) and elevate the global conversation on FLW. To celebrate FLW Month, the USAID Kitchen Sink Podcast is publishing two special episodes in September. Our first episode is with Dana Gunders, Executive Director of ReFED, a unique organization with a large network collaborating a...

In this month’s episode of the USAID Kitchen Sink Food Loss and Waste Podcast, Anesu Mawire, Project Development Specialist in the Regional Economic Growth Office and Feed the Future Coordinator for USAID South Africa, speaks with Mandla Nkomo, Chief Growth Officer at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture’s Central Africa Hub. Anesu and Mandla discuss value addition at source and how this practice can reduce food loss...

As the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment concludes in Rome, we must continue to shine a light on the problem of food loss and waste (FLW) that strains our food systems and our climate. As the world faces the two interconnected crises of a changing climate and food insecurity, one-third of the global food supply is wasted or lost, severely hampering our efforts to end hunger, fight malnutrition, and mitigate climate change. ...