WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Naveena Neerada Dasa, Executive Director of Strategy and International Relations at The Akshaya Patra Foundation and a leader in the World Food Movement, spoke about expanding efforts to address food insecurity in the United States during an interview with Diya TV’s Ravi Kapur at the Johns Hopkins India Conference.
He described the World Food Movement as a global extension of Akshaya Patra’s long-running mission in India, where the organization serves millions of meals daily to schoolchildren. The initiative is now being adapted to address gaps in access to nutritious food in underserved communities abroad.
“In this country, nearly one in seven people face food insecurity—not just hunger, but lack of access to nutritious, freshly cooked meals,” Dasa said. “When we saw these numbers, we realized there was a need to act here as well.”
The U.S. program, launched recently, has already established operations in multiple locations, including New Jersey, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Milpitas, California, with plans to expand to cities such as Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles. The effort is currently focused on serving community college students, a group Dasa identified as particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.
According to Dasa, the organization has served approximately 23,000 meals in 2025 and has already reached 18,000 meals this year, with a goal of delivering 100,000 meals by the end of the year and scaling to one million meals annually by 2028.
The model emphasizes freshly prepared, culturally adaptable meals delivered to campuses and communities. In some cases, the program also provides grocery kits for weekends, ensuring continuity of access for students outside school days.
Dasa noted that the initiative has received strong support from local communities, educational institutions, and members of the Indian diaspora, many of whom see the effort as a way to give back to the United States.
“There is a desire among the diaspora to contribute to the communities here,” he said. “We have the expertise of 25 years of large-scale food service, and we want to apply that here where there is a clear need.”
The organization operates through a combination of centralized kitchens and partnerships with local agencies that meet its quality standards. It is also seeking volunteers and funding support to scale operations, with opportunities ranging from meal preparation to technology and outreach.
Dasa emphasized that maintaining quality and consistency remains central to the mission. “We are uncompromising when it comes to standards,” he said, noting that trained staff and certified kitchens are key to ensuring safe and nutritious meals.
Looking ahead, the World Food Movement aims to expand both geographically and operationally, positioning itself as a complementary effort to existing programs while focusing on underserved populations.
“Our goal is simple,” Dasa said. “No one should have to choose between education and food.”
