Zero Hunger Project

One year of honest conversations can reshape how the world responds to hunger. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, you'll see how 52 conversations bring together global voices that challenge how hunger is understood and addressed. Each exchange highlights a clear truth that food insecurity is not just about supply. It is about systems, access, and the decisions people make every day.  You'...

Across the world, a new generation is stepping forward with ideas, urgency, and a deep commitment to ending hunger. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, you hear from World Food Forum Youth Ambassadors representing Ontario, Bhutan, and Australia, young leaders who are already shaping conversations about food systems and global equity. They share how youth perspectives are influencing policy...

Can a small island fight hunger and win? Grenada, the Spice Island of the Caribbean, is proving that determined leadership and community action can move a nation closer to food security. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Sen. The Hon. Gloria Thomas, Minister for Social and Community Development, Housing, and Gender Affairs in Grenada, explains the realities small island nations face like...

The Maldives shows how a nation can rise from poverty to possibility in a single generation. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, explains how the Maldives transformed its economic and social outlook. You hear how strong public policy, international partnerships, and investment in human de...

Health and hunger move together and when you strengthen one, you strengthen the other. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Sameh Kamel, medical doctor and ENT surgeon, explains why malnutrition weakens immune systems, slows recovery, reduces income, and traps families in a cycle that passes from one generation to the next. Strong health systems protect dignity and restore stability. Yo...

Progress is possible. Kenya proves it every day. When a nation treats social protection as a right you see the shift from survival to stability. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Lynett Ochuma, Acting Secretary at the State Department for Social Protection in Senior Citizens Affairs in Kenya, explains how the country is rewriting the fight against hunger. Moving beyond short-term cas...

A single seed holds the power to transform acres of land. In the same way, one policy shift or bold investment in agriculture can reshape a nation's food future. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, MP Michael Coteau brings you inside Canada's food conversation from the federal level to the grassroots. As Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, he expl...

Canada's wealth tells only part of the story. Behind the headlines, millions of children face daily choices no child should have to make. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Leila Sarangi, Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation at Family Service Toronto, connects child poverty, food insecurity, and policy decisions shaping life across the country. Drawing on decades of community-based...

Food is more than fuel. It carries memory, identity, and dignity and when food systems ignore that, people are left behind. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Jo Sharma, Associate Professor of Food and Environmental Studies at the University of Toronto and a founding member of the Culinaria Research Centre, explains why food security, food sovereignty, and food infrastructure cannot e...

Change begins where people are heard, not where policies sit on paper.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Zia Rehman, Chief Executive Officer of AwazCDS-Pakistan, speaks from decades of work alongside marginalized communities across the country. He explains why hunger in Pakistan cannot be separated from poverty, land inequality, education gaps, and the exclusion of women, youth, and mi...

A hunger‑free future is possible when food systems work with people and the planet.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Navin Ramankutty, Professor at the University of British Columbia, breaks down why hunger, climate change, public health, and farmer livelihoods are inseparable. He explains how past progress against hunger was real, why it stalled, and what responsible solutions mu...

Food has always carried the power to nourish, teach, and connect but only when it is treated with care and intention.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Andy Cuthbert, President of WORLDCHEFS (World Association of Chefs Societies), reflects on a lifetime in the kitchen and a global career dedicated to mentorship, sustainability, and responsible food practices. From eliminating waste to...

A better food system is possible and it starts with people choosing to lead together.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Ryan Turnbull, Founder of the Sustainable Finance Forum, challenges you to see hunger not as a single failure, but as a system that can be redesigned with intention and care. Ryan breaks down how food insecurity connects farming, affordability, education, and policy a...

Every movement for a hunger-free world begins with a moment of honesty. A pause where you ask yourself what change is truly possible.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Jaron Porciello, Associate Director at Cornell University, challenges you to rethink how evidence, technology, and human connection shape the global fight against hunger. Jaron breaks down what half a million research art...

A better food future starts with the choices we make and the courage to reimagine what's possible  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Paul Newnham, CEO of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, speaks about how bold policy, local action, and global collaboration can reshape the entire food system. Paul walks you through the challenges that continue to shape our world: rising food prices, climate pressure...

Progress accelerates when leadership chooses people first.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Bahrom Khidirbaev and Diydor Berdiklichev talk about how their nation reduced poverty from 35% to 6.6% in just seven years, a transformation driven by empathy, data, and decisive action. Bahrom shares how Uzbekistan built an inclusive system where every community has a dedicated social worker an...

Hope takes root in the soil and flourishes in the hearts of those who nurture it.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Meesha Wittkopf, founder of the Youth Coalition 4 Food Security North project, shares how local leadership, youth action, and Indigenous knowledge are transforming food security across the Yukon. Meesha paints a vivid picture of northern communities facing steep challenges...

Every meal we eat tells a story about our planet.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Michael Grunwald, award-winning author, journalist, and speaker, pulls back the curtain on how our food system quietly drives both hunger and climate change. Michael reveals that agriculture, more than factories or cities, is consuming the Earth. Forests are cleared, water is drained, and yet millions st...

In a country known for abundance, how can 80% of households in some regions still face hunger? In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Blair Williams, Co-Chair and Director of the Poverty Reduction Division in the Government of Nunavut, shares how communities in the Canadian Arctic are facing challenges with strength, resilience, and a vision for lasting change. Blair reveals how food insecuri...

Every child deserves a safe place to dream, learn, and grow.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Warren Povey, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Breadline Africa, brings you into the heart of South Africa's fight for education equity where infrastructure, nutrition, and dignity collide in the classroom. Warren speaks from the front lines of early childhood development, where children are...

Sometimes the most powerful solution to hunger isn't found in innovation, but in compassion.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, explores how thoughtful policies, collective care, and community-driven action can shift the tide. Hunger isn't about lack. It's about choices we can change together. Mike speaks with honesty and urgency abou...

As living costs continue to climb, hope can rise with it when communities come together.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, joins us to talk about the true cost of hunger and what it reveals about our social priorities. He breaks down why we must treat hunger as a political and moral choice, not an unavoidable outcome. From skyrocketi...

Every meal tells a story of connection and consequence. Behind each bite lies a network of fuel, profit, and power shaping what we eat. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, we speak with Raj Patel, member of the IPES-Food panel, a film-maker, best-selling author, to break down how our global food system is built on inequality. Raj shares how capitalism, colonialism, and corporate control ha...

Six months can hold countless lessons when you're fighting for change. In that short time, stories of struggle and hope can spark connections that bring us closer to ending hunger.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, we reflect on our first half-year of conversations that brought global leaders, grassroots organizers, and everyday heroes together. We share what surprised us, what inspired...

Real change begins when global voices meet local action. Ending hunger is about hope, community, and the courage to act where you are. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guests, Cory Witter, Executive Director at Youth Climate Lab, and Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson, a seasoned policy advisor and community developer, speaking from the United Nations to their work back home in Canada, who sh...