Hunger had at one point been nearly eliminated in the United States. So how did it become such a massive and pressing issue once again?

Chef and activist Tom Colicchio cites, among other things, a changing political landscape that resulted in a working population left unable to feed themselves and their families.

"When you have a sixth of the population that can't really participate in the American dream, you start questioning whether the American dream is pretty much over," he told CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

The two spoke about his mission to bring visibility to the issue of hunger, and hold elected officials accountable through his new organization, Food Policy Action, designed to "promote a healthy, sustainable food system through public education, issue advocacy, and publication of the National Food Policy Scorecard (PDF)."

Previously:
Q & A: Tom Colicchio talks childhood hunger