2003 Food and Society Conference

What Would It Take?
Food and Society convened its annual networking conference April 23-25 at the Woodlands Conference Center in Houston, Texas. Together, activists, business leaders, farmers, ranchers, scholars and thought leaders examined food systems in an attempt to discover what it would take to create the conditions for a widespread shift toward a food system supportive of healthy communities, people, and ecosystems. This year’s conference was intended to create a “space of inquiry” where participants and presenters alike shared opinions and listened to perspectives that affect their day-to-day situations.

Conference Highlights

• Chuck Benbrook introduced his agenda to change the current food system
• Wilbur Bullock and Beth Mullen of the Food Project provided powerful insight into food habits of teens and what it would take to persuade them to make better food decisions.
• With the assistance of the Lllano Grande Center for Research and Development, youth in attendance created and presented a moving video reflection of the conference.

Conference Proceedings: Agenda, Presentations, Sessions

• Drivers and Perspectives of the Food System
• “In My Lifetime”: The Food System I Know and the Food System I Want to See
• Policy Levers for Community-Based Food Systems
• Working Across Differences, Differently