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

Our latest episode is with Sandra Vijn, US Managing Director of Kipster, which is dedicated to offering the first carbon-neutral egg by revolutionizing sustainable food production with circular economy. If you’ve ever wondered about circular economy and regenerative agriculture, this episode is for you! Sandra will provide an overview of circular economy- what it is and why it is important. We’ll dive to answer the age old question- when it comes to circularity, what comes first? The chicken or the egg? We conclude by making the business case for circularity and sharing how Kipster can serve as a model for other companies interested in reducing food loss and waste.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 to play their role in reducing food loss and waste. 

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 US Government employees, Feds Feed Families aims to raise awareness of hunger and combat food insecurity. Together, Marie and Nika, who served as the Deputy National Chair, reflect on the success of the 2024 campaign and share how to get involved in opportunities to glean excess food to reduce food loss and waste while increasing access to safe, nutritious food.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 seemingly overwhelming problem of food waste. We conclude our episode with recommendations of how anyone can engage in Food Recovery Network to have a lasting impact to reduce food waste. 

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 waste. We end the episode by looking ahead at future opportunities for large scale produce rescue.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 transforms excess into access in food insecure communities by providing nutrient dense, culturally relevant meals. We conclude with a discussion of how to shift the narrative around food waste.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 with cold chain companies can bolster these efforts. Together, we discuss how legislation can shape food donation and the important roles food banks play in our communities that go beyond handing out food.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 every ounce of food we grow in a way that delivers on nutrition and helps mitigate climate change. This episode celebrates World Food Safety Day with three USAID activities: Feed the Future Evidence and Action Towards Safe, Nutritious Food (EatSafe), Feed the Future Business Drivers for Food Safety (BD4FS), and the Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP). 

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

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.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!

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 the FLW and food safety space.

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 (nlarian@usaid.gov).

There’s no time to waste!