2025 posed unprecedented challenges to U.S. global and domestic food and nutrition security programs; with stress and uncertainty added to the lives of millions of people and families in the United States and around the globe who rely on assistance programs. These challenges mark the latest in a shift in the political landscape around food, nutrition, and development programs. Rev. David Beckmann, President Emeritus of the Alliance to End Hunger and Bread for the World, has observed the evolution of America’s understanding of and relationship to food security programming throughout his career. Host Minerva Delgado speaks to Rev. Beckmann about his observations and insights into the unique and challenging time we find ourselves, and how advocacy can play a key role in making hunger and poverty a priority once again. They also talk about his upcoming book, Poverty Abolitionists, and strategies we can take to make progress against poverty and hunger.

Note to Listeners:

David Beckman's upcoming book, Poverty Abolitionists, is available for pre-order through the following links:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/ctfLrvF

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poverty-abolitionists-david-beckmann/1148352847?ean=9798216275893

The United States government just reopened after its record-breaking 43-day shutdown. During this time, federal nutrition programs found themselves in the crosshairs of debates over funding and a larger political battle. Caught in the middle were the tens of millions of individuals and families who depend on food assistance. Food bank demand soared, with many struggling to keep up with need. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with two food bank leaders serving a wide spectrum of populations – Rhonda Chafin of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, and Craig Rice of Manna Food Center, which serves communities in Maryland right outside of Washington, DC. Together they share their observations about their operations during the shutdown, lingering effects heading into the holiday season, and what lessons may be learned by those dedicated to building a food security future moving forward.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest(s):

• Rhonda Chafin, Executive Director, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee
• Craig Rice, CEO, Manna Food Center

Learn More:

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee: https://netfoodbank.org/
• Manna Food Center: https://www.mannafood.org/

Late last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the federal government would cease providing funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – known as SNAP – starting November 1, in response to the ongoing government shutdown. This announcement was met with both moral and legal pushback on the Hill and from beneficiaries and advocates across the country. On this special episode of Voices to End Hunger, Minerva Delgado speaks with David Super, the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law and Economics at Georgetown University Law Center. He explains what is going on with SNAP, how we got here, and what beneficiaries and broader communities should expect in the coming days.

Read more by David Super

David Super: The Administration’s Shutdown of SNAP is Obviously Illegal (https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-administrations-shutdown-of-snap-is.html)

The school year is in full swing across the country, and approximately 30 million school-aged children are lining up in cafeterias each day to eat a school-provided lunch. These meals are nutritious – offering a balance of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains and lean protein. However, not all students have equal access to school meals or the interest in eating them. On this episode, Minerva speaks with Abbie Watts, Director of School Food Advocacy at Community Food Advocates (CFA) in New York City. They discuss CFA’s solutions to both issues of school meals access and appeal in New York. They also discuss NY’s journey to “Universal School Meals,” NYC’s innovative cafeteria redesign program, and what lessons the rest of the country can take away from New York’s experience.

Note to listeners: Minerva Delgado serves as the president of the Board of Directors for Community Food Advocates.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest(s): Abbie Watts, Director of School Food Advocacy, Community Food Advocates

Helpful Links

Community Food Advocates: https://www.foodadvocates.org/

Learn about the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/cep

The relationship between food security and agriculture is at once both apparent and complex, especially in matters of climate-related impacts. Around the world, people and families are struggling with high food prices and uncertainty about how they will reliably obtain healthy foods. According to the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, 2.6 billion people in the world could not afford a healthy diet. One key recommendation to address future food price spikes is to invest in resilient agrifood systems, including agriculture. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with Brooke Jamison, Chief of the Americas Liaison Office for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Together, they discuss the intersection of agriculture and food security, recent advances in agricultural development, and the unique approach and investments that IFAD has found to positively impact farmers and communities around the world.

Guest

Brooke Jamison, Chief, Americas Liaison Office of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Resources

• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): https://www.ifad.org/en/
• The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report: https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/ea9cebff-306c-49b7-8865-2aef3bfd25e2

The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was recently published by the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and others. The report states that up to 720 million people around the world are facing hunger. This represents a modest decrease owing to “notable improvement in South-eastern Asia, Southern Asia and South America in contrast to the continuing rise in hunger in most subregions of Africa and in Western Asia.” This report comes amidst a flurry of global activity including international agreements, summits, conflict, and economic uncertainty. On this episode host Minerva Delgado speaks with Asma Lateef of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub about the state of food security in the world today, the power of cross-sector partnerships, and what advocates should keep their eyes out for in the coming weeks and months.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest: Asma Lateef, Chief of Policy and Advocacy Impact, SDG2 Advocacy Hub Secretariat

Resources:

• Read the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report: https://www.fao.org/publications/fao-flagship-publications/the-state-of-food-security-and-nutrition-in-the-world/en
• Learn about the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, including the Beans Is How and Hungry 4 Action Campaigns: https://sdg2advocacyhub.org/
• Episodes referenced in the podcast:
  • Feeding Futures: Unlocking the Potential of Global School Meals: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2451786/episodes/17263996
  • Against the Odds – Treating Severe Child Malnutrition: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2451786/episodes/17080586

Join the 2025 Hunger Free Communities Virtual Summit

• Register at https://www.accelevents.com/e/2025-hunger-free-communities-virtual-summit

The Older Americans Act recently turned 60. This landmark piece of legislation has been fundamental in our nation’s approach to caring for and promoting the well-being of our nation’s seniors, including through vital nutrition programming. On this episode on Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with Josh Protas of Meals on Wheels America about OAA, hunger among our nation’s seniors, and what the present and future of the OAA looks like.

Guest: Josh Protas, Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer, Meals on Wheels America

Learn More:

Meals on Wheels America: www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org

End the Wait campaign: www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/end-the-wait/

For many kids, Summer is a time for enjoying the outdoors, relaxing, and recuperating after a long school year. However, for an often-overlooked number of children and their families it is also a stressful time of dealing with the meal gaps that were previously filled by free and reduced school breakfast and lunch programs. Summer meals and Summer EBT have become more prominent over the years as their crucial value to so many kids has become more apparent, but the implementation of these programs still faces challenges. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with two experts in policy and practice when it comes to summer meals and Summer EBT, also known as Sun Bucks through USDA, their delivery, and the politics behind them.

Guest(s):

-Jonathan Hansen, Chief Strategy Officer, Hunger Task Force (Milwaukee, WI)

-Carolyn Vega, Associate Director, Policy Analysis, No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices, Share Our Strength

Learn More:

Share Our Strength: https://shareourstrength.org/

Hunger Task Force: https://www.hungertaskforce.org/

Programs referenced in this episode

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP): is a provision within the National School Lunch Program that allows eligible schools in high-poverty areas to serve free meals to all students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools are reimbursed based on a formula using the percentage of students directly certified for free meals.

Summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer), also known as SUN Bucks: “SUN Bucks provides $120 in grocery benefits per eligible school-age child when school is out for summer. SUN Bucks can be used to purchase food from authorized retailers in participating states, Tribes, and territories.” (https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks)

Summer Meals/SUN Meals: “Through SUN Meals, kids of all ages can eat meals and snacks during the summer at no cost at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations. SUN Meals may have a different name where you live, but the benefit is the same: nutritious meals for kids and teens in the summer when school is out.” (https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunmeals)

Non-Congregate Summer Meals/SUN Meals to Go: Meals provided to eligible children to consume outside of a static “congregate” setting such as a school, park, or other meeting place.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): The largest federal food assistance program in the United States, SNAP provides over 42 million low-income people with supplemental assistance through state-based EBT programs to purchase food for themselves and their families.

Credits

Host: Minerva Delgado

Produced and Edited by: Nate Magrath

Additional Editing: Malia Adams