Lisbon’s Food Rescue Hero: The Story of Hunter Halder

In this episode of the People Of Lisbon Podcast, we spend extended time with Hunter Halder, the American founder of Refood, the Lisbon-based volunteer movement tackling food waste and hunger by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to people who need it.

Hunter first came to Lisbon in the late 1980s and eventually made the city his home. Years later, a simple question from his daughter about what would happen to leftover food at the end of a restaurant service sparked an idea that would grow into one of Lisbon’s most inspiring community initiatives.

Today, Refood mobilizes thousands of volunteers and feeds thousands of people every day, proving that local communities have the power to solve problems that often feel too big to fix.

In this long-form conversation, Hunter reflects on the origins of Refood, his entrepreneurial instincts, life in Lisbon, fatherhood, growing older, and why he believes the most meaningful thing we can do for ourselves is help others.

This episode is the extended podcast cut from our time filming Hunter for the People of Lisbon documentary series — a deeper look at the ideas, philosophy, and stories behind the film.

Watch our video with Hunter here.