Zero Hunger Project

Ending hunger is about fairness and possibility. When equality shapes policy and cooperation, food security becomes achievable. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Minister Ville Skinnari, Finland's Former Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, explains why equality is the missing link in global food security. Drawing on Finland's model of universal school meals...

When access to good food is treated as a right, not a privilege, we can begin to imagine a food system built on equity and care rather than charity.  In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Marissa Alexander, Co-Executive Director at Food Secure Canada, joins us to talk about what food sovereignty really means in Canada. She explains why solving hunger requires systemic change and h...

True healing can ripple far beyond your own life. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Bill Jollie, Founder and CEO of Interrupt Hunger, whose recovery from leukemia sparked a movement that connects health, hope, and community to fight hunger with heart. Bill founded Interrupt Hunger and created programs like "Donate Your Weight," where people lose weight while raising money for...

Sometimes the voices we need most are the ones we've silenced the longest. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Mona Das, a former Washington State Senator and TEDx speaker, shares how her journey from policymaking to filmmaking is a roadmap for turning frustration into fuel and purpose into power. Mona opens up about her unlikely path to politics, how she passed 28 impactful bil...

Real change in food systems starts by including those who are too often left out. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Kazuki Kitaoka, Director of the Office of Youth and Women at FAO, explains why meaningful investment in youth and women is essential to building a food-secure future. Kazuki reflects on community-led initiatives in India and Latin America, where women-run coopera...

Want to change the future of food? Start by listening to those too often left out of the conversation. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Kazuki Kitaoka, Director of the Office of Youth and Women at FAO, reveals why youth and women are driving real transformation in food systems worldwide. Kazuki shares how initiatives like the World Food Forum are giving young people a voice i...

How do we go from policies on paper to real meals on plates? In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, retired professor Cecilia Rocha, continues to show how school meal programs and public food initiatives helped lift millions out of hunger in Brazil. Plus, we talk about the role universities can play in connecting community action with policymaking. Cecilia explains why laws matter,...

Ending hunger is more possible than we think—through food, yes, but also through power, culture, and smart policy. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Cecilia Rocha, professor at the School of Nutrition at TMU, unpacks what real food security looks like. She highlights Brazil's Belo Horizonte model, where communities, dignity, and policy align to create sustainable, equitable fo...

The real power of AI lies not in replacing humans but in amplifying what makes us human. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest, Sam Sammane, Founder of TheoSym, shares a bold vision: using human-centered AI to break the cycle of hunger and inequality around the world. Sam explains how technology, when used wisely, can transform food systems, create global job opportunities, and bri...

If you care about ending hunger and building a future where health is a right for everyone, not a privilege, then this is for you. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest Dr. Andrew Boozary, Executive Director at University Health Network, shares how real change begins with compassion and practical solutions that work.   Dr. Andrew explains how initiatives like the FoodRx program and...

Farming holds real promise to end hunger and heal the planet when paired with smarter choices and bold action. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest Dr. Evan Fraser, Director of the Arrell Food Institute, explains how smart farming and food system innovation can address both hunger and the climate crisis.   Dr. Evan breaks down why technology alone won't end hunger and why investin...

Ending hunger starts with recognizing the immense potential of food to shape resilient, just communities. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, our guest Dr. Lauren Baker, Deputy Director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, shares clear, grounded ways we can reshape food systems for the better. Using real-world examples from across the globe, she explains how moving away from corp...

One person can't end world hunger alone, but your hands can be part of the solution. In this episode, Jamie Cross, Senior Emergency Programs Manager at GlobalMedic, shares what it really takes to deliver life-saving aid. From conflict zones to food banks in Canada, the needs are rising—and so is the urgency. Responding to a crisis is about building smarter systems, listening to communities, and ac...

In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, you'll see how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) come to life through local acts that ripple outward, touching the world. Global change can actually start with a single school, a seed in the ground, or a story shared with a neighbor. Our guest, Dr. Hlami Ngwenya, a global expert in sustainable agriculture and systemic change, shares powerful insig...

How do you turn a good idea into a global solution? In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Hlami Ngwenya, Founder of Facilitation of Systemic Change Consulting, breaks down a transformative framework: scale up, scale out, and scale deep. Through compelling real-world examples and a unique "PERFECT" model (Policies, Education, Research, Farming, Extension, Communication, and Technology), s...

What would happen if we treated feeding Northern Canada not as a challenge, but as a moral duty? In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, Associate Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at NOSM University and Vice President of Associate Faculties of Medicine of Canada, shares firsthand insights on why hunger in the North is political, not just geographical. He highlights gr...

What if hunger in Northern Canada isn't just a matter of distance or cost, but politics? In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Dr. Joseph LeBlanc, Director of Indigenous Affairs at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, pulls back the curtain on the structural issues driving hunger in the North. He shares how policies rooted in colonialism, economic inequity, and environmental mismanagemen...

In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, reveals how nearly half of Canada's food goes to waste—and much of it is still perfectly edible. Lori shares how this isn't just a hunger issue, but an environmental emergency, as she explains how food in landfills creates methane gas that directly contributes to the climate crisis. Whether you're a business owner, pol...

Hunger is more than empty plates—it's the result of conflict, climate change, and political injustice.  Ambassador Bob Rae, Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations, exposes the harsh truth behind global food insecurity and shares what it takes to bring real change.  Canada's role, alongside the UN's mission, is pivotal in reshaping global food security and building resilience against these growi...

Hunger shouldn't be part of getting a degree. Campus Hunger isn't about bad budgeting. It's about broken systems.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, Sam Laban, manager of the Guelph Lab, shares how institutions can stop treating student hunger as a rite of passage. He walks us through the power of data, student leadership, and bold university-led programs that tackle food insecurity at...

Hunger persists, not because we lack food, but because we've accepted broken systems for far too long. In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project, you'll hear from Stefanos Fotiou, who's doing more than imagining that future. He calls out the system failures, food waste, skewed pricing, and harmful subsidies that keep people hungry while letting power stay concentrated.  The message is clear: hung...

Why do millions still suffer from hunger despite the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and decades of promises? In this episode, Suman Roy and Stacia Neale sit down with Stefanos Fotiou, a global force in sustainable development and Director at the UN FAO, to ask the hard questions about the SDGs. He's here to break the silence on why the world is failing on its most ambitious goals and shares...

Fighting hunger isn't just about handing out food. It's about building systems that work.   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project Podcast, Stacia Neale interviews Suman Roy. Suman shares the three-layer approach of Feed Scarborough: emergency food access, building community resilience, and pushing for long-term policy solutions.   They also speak about hunger in the Global North—why it's ofte...

Imagine a world where every child starts their day with a full stomach and a real shot at learning, growing, and thriving. This MUST be a basic right, right?   In this episode of the Zero Hunger Project Podcast, hosts Suman Roy and Stacia Neale connect with Debbie Field, the coordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, who shares how her personal experience as a child in New York's school...

The way food is grown, distributed, and accessed affects every single person on this planet.  But do we truly understand the difference between food justice, food sovereignty, and food security?  In the second-part episode of our interview with Dr. Mustafa Koc, emeritus professor of sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University, hosts Suman Roy and Stacia Neale discuss his decades-push for policies...