Voices to End Hunger

Recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are already being felt by families across the country who rely on it to put food on the table. But the impact doesn’t stop at the household. Every SNAP dollar is spent at a local grocery store, and when those dollars shrink, so do store sales, local jobs, and the wider economy that depends on them. For independent and rural grocers running on thin margins, the losses can decide whether a community keeps its only full-service grocery store.

On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado talks with Jimmy Wright, owner of Wright’s Market in Opelika, Alabama, and consultant with the National Grocers Association, about what SNAP cuts look like from behind the register. They discuss the ripple effects on local economies, the supply chain and policy pressures facing independent grocers, and how efforts like the Delta Healthy Food Financing Initiative help keep healthy food within reach in the communities that need it most.

Learn More

National Grocers Association SNAP Issue Briefs by State: https://www.nationalgrocers.org/advocacy/state-affairs/snap-issues/

A record-strength El Niño is intensifying in the Pacific, and forecasters say it could rival the strongest events ever recorded by the time it peaks late this year. The World Food Programme estimates it could push tens of millions of additional people into acute food insecurity, with Southern Africa among the hardest-hit regions — including Malawi, where crisis-level conditions are already being forecast for the coming lean season.

On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado is joined by Chase Sova, Vice President of Advocacy & Engagement at World Food Program USA, and Yash Gharat, Malawi Country Director for One Acre Fund, to unpack what a warming Pacific means for the world's most vulnerable communities — connecting the dots between global climate forecasting and early action, government and community preparedness, and the day-to-day reality of smallholder farmers who may feel El Niño's effects long before they understand its cause.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guests:

Chase Sova, Vice President, Advocacy & Engagement, World Food Program USA;

Yash Gharat, Malawi Country Director, One Acre Fund

Learn More About:

World Food Program USA: https://wfpusa.org/

One Acre Fund: https://oneacrefund.org/

When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law in July 2025, it set in motion the most significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in a generation. More than a year later, those changes are no longer theoretical. Expanded paperwork requirements have already stripped exemptions from veterans, unhoused individuals, and former foster youth, while new state cost-share mandates are set to reshape how, and whether, states can sustain the program as federal funding recedes.

On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado is joined by Karen Ehrens of the Alliance to End Hunger and Anna Grace Dastugue of the Tennessee Justice Center to unpack what has actually happened since OBBBA's signing, who is losing benefits and why, and what it all means for states and communities bracing for new administrative and financial burdens. Together they connect the national policy picture to the lived reality in Tennessee and beyond, giving advocates a clearer sense of what to watch for as implementation continues to unfold.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guests:

• Karen Ehrens, Alliance to End Hunger
• Anna Grace Dastugue, Tennessee Justice Center

Learn more about the Tennessee Justice Center at https://www.tnjustice.org/

Across the country, the Cooperative Extension System has served as a vital bridge between land-grant universities and the communities they serve—bringing research-based education directly to kitchen tables, classrooms, and community centers in every state. For decades, this network has been a cornerstone of nutrition education, especially for underserved and limited-resource families. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with Dr. Jo Britt-Rankin, Extension Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Administrative Director for the University of Missouri Extension's SNAP-Ed and EFNEP programs. Together, they discuss the essential role Extension plays in advancing food and nutrition security, the recent elimination of SNAP-Ed funding and what it means for communities across Missouri and the nation, and how this century-old model of community-based education continues to adapt to meet new challenges.

Learn More:

Learn about the Cooperative Extension System, including programs in your own state, through the Extension Foundation: https://extension.org/

Developed by the University of Missouri, the Seasonal and Simple app provides users with ideas and simple recipes using locally-sourced seasonal produce in Missouri. On Play and Apple App stores as well as though this site: https://seasonalandsimple.info/

In the heart of Jackson, Mississippi is Foot Print Farms. This farm produces more than food. It engages community, responds to health issues, provides educational opportunities, and serves as a model for both urban and rural food security and development. At the center of this operation is Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott. Her vision for Foot Print Farms and the larger community is as ambitious as her journey has been unusual. On this episode Minerva speaks with Cindy about her insights into the intersection of culture, nutrition, agriculture, and hunger, and what lessons can be learned by the larger anti-hunger movement across the country and beyond.

Learn more about the work of Foot Print Farms at https://footprintfarmsms.com/

Want to learn more about local solutions to hunger across the country? join us for the 2026 Hunger Free Communities Virtual Summit! https://alliancetoendhunger.org/hfcsummit

Sudan is in the midst of the world’s largest humanitarian disaster. Famine has officially been declared in parts of the country, and 25 million people have reached “crisis” levels of food insecurity. Further, ongoing conflict and internal displacement have decimated communities and severely hampered agriculture, commerce, and aid deliveries.

With an ongoing and complicated crisis, understanding the current situation and needs is critical. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks to two on-the-ground experts about the current crisis, how organizations such as World Renew and ZOA are attempting to meet the need, and what advocates need to do to bring the crisis the attention and assistance it needs.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger 

Guest(s): Matilda Okech, World Renew; Eltayeb Omer Hamid, ZOA Sudan

Learn more about:

• World Renew: https://worldrenew.net/
• ZOA Sudan: https://www.zoa-international.com/sudan

Further Reading:

BBC has a helpful snapshot of the conflict leading to the crisis:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjel2nn22z9o

Please note that this is background reading, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Alliance to End Hunger or our partners in this episode.

Hunger is a prevalent yet underreported issue faced by many members of the armed forces. Servicemembers and their families face daunting issues stemming from regular relocation, uncertainty, and other unique circumstances that pose challenges to the ability to reliably access needed resources. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, host Minerva Delgado speaks with two experts on food insecurity in the military. Liza Lieberman is the Vice President of Public Affairs at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which has been a leading advocate for those facing hunger in the armed forces; and Megan Rowley, who helped establish a food pantry at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and has first-hand experience working with these families as they seek assistance. Together they speak about strategies and programs in policy and practice that are needed to address military hunger, and they talk about what advocates should know about this pervasive issue and how to address it.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest(s): Liza Lieberman, Vice President of Public Affairs, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger; and Megan Rowley, Founder, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Food Pantry

Lear More:

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger's focus on Military Families: https://mazon.org/priorities/military-families/

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Food Pantry: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbabfoodpantry/

Facebook (For JBAB/ DC-area Service Members & Families): https://www.facebook.com/groups/709222748317071/

Global agricultural development has a tremendous role to play in both the economic success of lower and middle income countries, but also the prosperity of the world. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been at the heart of building up and supporting agricultural livelihoods and communities for decades, and its experiences and history provide valuable insights into the current moment we find ourselves. Host Minerva Delgado speaks with Katherine Meighan of IFAD to discuss the work of the organization, how global agricultural development supports broader priorities of people and governments, and how the business of agriculture in developing markets fits into wider global food security efforts.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest: Katherine Meighan, Chief Legal and Governance Officer, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Learn more about IFAD by visiting their website at www.ifad.org.

U.S. agriculture and global food security have built a crucial relationship in American efforts to end hunger and malnutrition around the world. Not only is this relationship essential for critical programs, but it reflects the genuine values and determination of farmers themselves to provide enough food for everyone. This is no more clear than through the work of Growing Hope Globally, which mobilizes farmers and rural communities to partner with and contribute to a worldwide movement of agricultural development and food security. Host Minerva Delgado speaks to Kaitlyn Slate, President and CEO of Growing Hope Globally, about the value of cultivating these cross-border relationships in the agriculture community, and lessons that can be learned for the broader anti-hunger movement.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest: Kaitlyn Slate, President & CEO, Growing Hope Globally

Learn more about Growing Hope Globally, their impact, success stories, and how to get involved at https://www.growinghopeglobally.org

The month of February marks the celebration of Black History Month, through which we honor and commemorate the leaders and contributions of our Black communities and neighbors across the country. While voting rights and fair treatment are rightfully emphasized, there is a lesser-talked about component of civil rights: food justice. On this episode of Voices to End Hunger, Minerva Delgado speaks to Tambra Stevenson, Founder and CEO of Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture, or WANDA. Tambra brings a unique and insightful perspective of the key role that food, nutrition, meals, culture, and culinary history have and are playing in the struggle for justice across the country in both historical and modern practice. She also describes the work that WANDA is doing, and how everyday people can participate in building up a community and culture of justice around kitchen tables and beyond.

Host: Minerva Delgado, Alliance to End Hunger

Guest: Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder/CEO, WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics and Agriculture

Learn more about Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA). Visit www.iamwanda.org.