Nourishing our Neighbors: Feds Feed Families with Marie Bucko

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

Over one-third of the world’s food is lost or wasted, undermining efforts to end hunger and malnutrition while contributing 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In low- and middle-income countries, over 40 percent of food loss occurs before a crop even makes it to market, whether due to inadequate storage, pests or microbes, spoilage, spillage in transport or otherwise. Eliminating food loss and waste (FLW) would provide enough food to feed two billion people, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing FLW is critical to global food security, nutrition and climate change mitigation, with food rescue playing an important role in these efforts.

In order to raise awareness, exchange information and share success stories, USAID’s Food Loss and Waste Community of Practice created the USAID Kitchen Sink Food Loss and Waste Podcast. Our goal is to share monthly, bite-sized episodes that highlight the approaches USAID and the U.S. government are taking to address FLW. We hope these episodes provide a valuable resource for those interested in why we should care about FLW and how we can reduce it.

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.

You can subscribe to receive the latest episodes of USAID’s Kitchen Sink and listen to our episodes on the platform of your choice: Apple, Spotify, and more! Video recordings of the episodes are available on YouTube. Check in every month for new episodes as global experts discuss a range of issues about FLW and methane emissions - from the critical role of youth to the staggering economic costs - and learn about specific ways that USAID is tackling FLW around the world.

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 ([e-mail]).

There’s no time to waste!