Food + Society Alliance
From Information Habitat
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Food + Society Alliance
Changing diets, food scares, global supply chains, resource availability, food-related health and disease, growing and increasingly more mobile populations all concurrently in motion – these are just a few of the present challenges that extend beyond any single discipline, interest group or company. This dynamically changing environment occurs where food production and processing interests intersect with changing societal conditions and needs. These global changes in our food system present an opportunity to reframe individual problems as collective challenges for both food companies and for universities like Michigan State University that regard global food sustainability as a significant part of their future work.
At MSU, food sustainability is viewed as a highly inter-connected, complex world that requires new models of leadership, cooperation and integrated research. The path forward requires an ongoing collaborative environment or ‘safe space for dialogue’ along with innovation and action that extends beyond traditional, insular approaches. We know that we can only be successful working on these issues in partnership.
With financial support from the Kellogg Foundation and investment across campus, MSU is inviting key representatives from a select number of companies and organizations to come together for a series of at least four strategic deliberations that will identify and frame some of the most pressing collective challenges, articulate alternative scenarios and develop new cooperative approaches for moving forward in the food sustainability arena.
The first strategic convening will take place from 11 am Nov. 12, to 1:30 pm Nov. 13, 2009, at MSU’s Henry Center facility. Desired outcomes include greater collective awareness of inter-related food sustainability challenges, identification of select challenges and complexities for subsequent framing and deliberation, and increased understanding regarding new cooperative approaches between and among food companies and MSU.
