In episode three of Food For Change: Serving Solutions for People and Planet, discover how policy change, community innovation and national advocacy are all essential to reducing food waste and hunger. Guests emphasize that food banks can’t do it alone — laws must encourage donation, communities must be empowered to act locally and governments must recognize food insecurity as a systemic issue requiring coordinated solutions.

Emily Broad Leib, founder and director of Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) explains how the field of food law and policy emerged, from her early work in Mississippi to founding the FLPC. She highlights the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas (developed with GFN), which maps policies across 27+ countries to improve food donation and reduce waste. Emily discusses advances in liability protections, food waste deterrence policies, and previews new resources like the Atlas Starter Toolkit and expanded European research.

Tanaporn “Faii” Oi-Isaranukul, operations and communicators director at Scholars of Sustenance Thailand (SOS), shares SOS’s unique same-day food recovery and distribution model, built on strict food safety checks, community volunteers and an in-house logistics app. SOS helped develop Thailand’s first national food donation safety guidelines and is now exploring carbon credits and tax benefits linked to food recovery. Fai emphasizes community-driven food rescue and hopes for policies that normalize food donation and reduce environmental impacts.

Brianna Casey, most recently the CEO of Foodbank Australia, reflects on leading a large warehouse-based national network. She highlights Foodbank Australia’s role during crises (bushfires, COVID-19, floods) and the importance of its annual Hunger Report, which in 2024, showed 3.4 million households face food insecurity. Brianna discusses their advocacy for a National Food Donation Tax Incentive and broader systemic reforms, aiming for an “Australia without hunger.” She stresses the long-term value of data-driven advocacy and the global solidarity of food bankers — “once a food banker, always a food banker.”

Views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the individuals expressing them and do not necessarily reflect those of The Global FoodBanking Network.

Making Food a Priority: Policy Solutions to Reduce Waste