Bite the Talk - Podcast Series — Podcast

From Policy to Plate: How Malawi is transforming Food Systems | With Dr Andrew Jamali and Vitowe Batch 26.06.2026 52m

What does it really take to transform a food system? In this episode, we head to Malawi — the Warm Heart of Africa — to explore how strong governance, smart coordination, and community-rooted action are turning national vision into real change on the ground.

Looking at Food and Agriculture Through a Systems Lens with Dr. Corinna Hawkes, Director of FAO, Division of Agri- Food Systems and Food Safety 08.05.2026 31m

What does it mean to look at food and agriculture through a systems lens? How can this approach help us to create healthier diets, more resilient food systems, and fairer outcomes for people and the planet? A systems approach is about making decisions in food and agriculture that consider connections with other parts of the system and the interrelated system. When we think about agri-food systems that have all of these different components involved in bringing food from farm to fork, the processing components, the farm components, the retailing components, it involves people and technologies

Nutrition Futures Initiative with Dr. Anthony Wenndt, Thomas Schuumanns, and Commissioner Patrick Mugisha 19.03.2026 57m

The Nutrition Futures Initiative (NFI) seeks to strengthen the nutritional impact of social protection programs by employing a "co-innovation" strategy that brings together governments, innovators, and community members to design more effective systems. This approach utilizes human-centered design and a digital platform to move beyond traditional program development, creating inclusive and scalable solutions that prioritize the lived experiences and feedback of beneficiaries.

From Pledges to Impact: Unpacking the 2025 Zero Hunger Accountability Report | with Carin Smaller and Dr. Lawrence Haddad 19.02.2026 48m

This episode explores the 2025 Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge Accountability Report, analyzing how over 100 companies have deployed approximately $440 million toward high-impact food system investments. Guests Carin Smaller and Dr. Lawrence Haddad discuss the progress made in on-farm and market-based interventions while addressing the urgent need to scale these efforts to close the $514 billion global funding gap.

Uganda at the Table: Accelerating Food Systems Transformation 11.12.2025 40m

In this episode, host Mark Gachagua and Damali Ssali, the Country Director for GAIN Uganda, explore the "Ugandan Paradox"—examining why a nation known as an agricultural powerhouse still faces high rates of malnutrition and stunting. They discuss how deep-rooted cultural habits, particularly the dominance of the staple food Matoke, combined with a "scarcity of information," prevent people from utilizing the diverse foods already available to them. The conversation also highlights the need for tailored awareness campaigns targeting different demographics, such as corporate and market-working mothers, to improve dietary choices and health outcomes .

The Climate & Nutrition Story | with Oliver Camp 06.11.2025 31m

In this episode of Bite the Talk, Oliver Camp of GAIN about the critical, interconnected challenges and opportunities between climate change and nutrition. He discusses how the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) is working to find "win-win" solutions, urging for better integration of nutrition into climate policies and finance ahead of COP30.

Global Food Systems Dashboard 16.10.2025 34m

Bite the Talk Episode 26: The Global Food Systems Dashboard In this episode, host Mark Gachagua speaks with Dr. Jessica Fanzo (Columbia University) and Dr. Ty Beal (GAIN) about the Global Food Systems Dashboard. They explain it was created to solve the problem of scattered and complex food data by consolidating information from over 40 sources into one user-friendly, visually appealing platform. Described as a "map of your food system from farm to fork," the dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of everything from agricultural production to health, environment, and livelihood outcomes. The dashboard is a vital tool for a wide range of users, including major organizations like the FAO, governments, and educators. A key feature is the development of subnational dashboards in countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan, which provide localized data to inform policy. Future plans for the dashboard are ambitious and include integrating AI-powered natural language queries, adding climate change projections to anticipate future impacts on food security, and launching more country-specific dashboards. The ultimate goal is to empower decision-makers with the data they need to drive global food systems transformation.

Pakistan Food Systems Journey 22.09.2025 33m

In this episode, Faiz Rasool shares Pakistan’s bold steps to reimagine its food systems. From developing a first-of-its-kind national food systems dashboard to making food systems education compulsory in universities, Pakistan is building resilience through innovation and collaboration. Faiz reflects on the challenges of turning policy into action, the power of cross-sector partnerships, and the importance of data in shaping decisions that affect millions. His journey shows how systemic change is possible when vision meets commitment. Tune in for insights on how one country is rewriting the future of food security—and what the rest of the world can learn from it.

Amplifying Youth Voices in Food Systems 12.08.2025 20m

In this Bite the Talk episode, host Mark Gachagua speaks with youth leader Eugenia Cho about amplifying youth voices in food systems. Eugenia shares her journey, work with Act for Food, barriers youth face in policy engagement, and solutions like creating spaces and building networks. Her message: youth are 25% of the population but 100% of the future.

UNFSS Stocktaking & Future Steps 28.07.2025 35m

This episode of "Bite The Talk" features a conversation between host Mark Gachagua and Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director at GAIN. They delve into the critical question of progress in global food systems transformation since the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) and the UNFSS+2 Stocktaking Moment.

WEBINAR: Taking stock of the implementation of policies and legal frameworks to transform food systems in Kenya: Progress, Challenges, and opportunities 12.11.2024 2h 4m

The discussion highlighted best practices and recommendations to enhance Kenya’s food systems, with a particular focus on effective policy implementation, financing, and inclusivity in nutrition governance. Panellists emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between state and non-state actors to drive sustainable food systems and improve nutrition outcomes across the country.

Bite the Talk Episode 22 - UNFSS Stocktaking series - Wrap Up 24.08.2023 26m

Welcome to this episode of Bite the Talk, we are Taking Stock! The 2023 United Nations Food System Stock Take moment in Rome, followed the transformative 2021 United Nations Food System Summit or the UNFSS, enabling countries to report on the progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the midst of changing and challenging global context.

Bite the Talk Episode 22 - UNFSS Stocktaking series - Tanzania 03.08.2023 29m

Welcome to this episode of Bite the Talk, we are Taking Stock! The 2023 United Nations Food System Stock Taking Moment in Rome follows the transformative 2021 United Nations Food System Summit, othe UNFSS, which enabled countries to report on the progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the midst of a changing and challenging global context. This podcast series will be focused on the UNFSS and the post-summit activities and progress of different countries. We are bringing thought leaders in food and nutrition to comment on the most pressing global issues impacting our food systems.

Bite the Talk Episode 21 - UNFSS Stocktaking series - Bangladesh 31.07.2023 33m

Welcome to this episode of Bite the Talk. We are taking stock! The 2023 United Nations Food Systems Stock Taking moment in Rome, followed the transformative 2021 United Nations Food System Summit, or the UNFSS, and enabled countries to report on the progress towards the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the mid of a changing and challenging global context. This podcast series will be focused the United Nations Food System Summit and the post-summit activities and progress of different countries. We are bringing thought leaders in food and nutrition to comment on the most pressing global issues impacting our food systems, economies, policies, and the society. I am Mandira Guha Neogi, I work as the Project Manager, Policy & Food System for Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in Bangladesh and this morning GAIN Bangladesh team has reached the hub of the National Convener to know more about the National Pathway Commitments of UN Food System Summit and how it is shaping Bangladesh.

Bite the Talk Episode 20 - UNFSS Stocktaking Series - Nigeria 21.07.2023 21m

Welcome to Bite the Talk, the podcast that dives deep into the pressing issues of our time. I am Joyce, your host for today, and we are honoured to be joined by a special guest: Dr. Sanjo Faniro, who is the National Convenor of the United Nations Food System Summit in Nigeria, and also the Director for Social Development at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning. In this role he has responsibility for the coordination of food systems, transformation initiatives, and ensuring effective implementation of the national pathways for food systems transformation. In addition, his ministry has responsibility for nutrition coordination, and implementation of the National multi-sectoral plan of action for food and nutrition in Nigeria. In this episode we'll be asking what is it really like to lead and coordinate the process on food systems transformation within the government of Nigeria? And as we approach the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment, what needs to happen to drive further progress?

Bite the Talk Episode 18 -UNFSS Stocktaking Series 17.07.2023 30m

Welcome to this episode of Bite the Talk. We are taking stock! The 2023 United Nations Food Systems Stock Taking moment in Rome, follows the transformative 2021 United Nations Food System Summit, or the UNFSS, enabling countries to report on the progress towards the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in the midst of a changing and challenging global context. I'm your host, Mark Gachagua and today we are speaking to Dr. Lawrence Haddad, GAIN’s Executive Director.

Bite the Talk Episode 19: The Power of Biofortification - India's Agri-Entrepreneurs 17.05.2023 24m

In this podcast, powered by GAIN, we explore diverse issues and solutions related to nutritious food. We feature voices from farmers to leaders, including a successful partnership between GAIN, HarvestPlus, and the Syngenta Foundation. They work together to combat hidden hunger globally, particularly in India, by delivering nutrient-rich biofortified foods. This collaboration aims to create sustainable market models and drive demand for biofortified crops. Today's podcast is about a successful partnership among the Swiss NGO Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition or GAIN, HarvestPlus, an organisation that fights hidden hunger worldwide by scaling staple food crops that are rich in essential vitamins and minerals. And the Syngenta Foundation, an organisation that focuses on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in commercial value chains.

Bite the Talk Episode 16 - Bangladesh Wet Markets: Road to Recovery 21.02.2023 19m

Do you know what a wet market is? The term wet market is typically used to describe places in Asian countries that sell fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, and meat in a non-supermarket setting. Wet markets are an essential part of food security in many countries. Today we're heading over to Bangladesh where wet markets were heavily impacted during the pandemic.

Bite the Talk Episode 15 -Reducing Nutritional Insecurity in Kenya through Ugali 30.01.2023 20m

This podcast will shine a light on people who are working to meet the 2030 targets of UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number two. In this podcast series powered by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition or GAIN, we will encounter a myriad of intersecting issues, themes, and solutions. We will hear from regular folks like farmers and mothers around the world trying to put nutritious food on the table for their families. We will also talk with food systems leaders, social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and people like you.

Bite the Talk Episode 14 - Nothing about us without us 11.08.2022 41m

Happy International Youth Day! Today's podcast titled "Nothing about us without us" celebrates the spirit of the youth. The aim of this conversation is to understand better how government, business and other development actors engage young people and how they can help them pursue their responsibilities to ensure sustainability in food system.