The acclaimed professor of nutrition and public health and author of both "Food Politics" and "What to Eat" visits Elon University at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre as a guest of the Liberal Arts Forum.
Marion Nestle, “Food Politics 2014: Beyond the Farm Bill”
McCrary Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Admission is free and a ticket is not required.
When Congress passed the Food, Farm and Jobs Bill of 2014, food system advocates hoped that it would address major issues: agricultural production that adapts for climate changes, protects the environment, is sustainable and promotes food safety, and also promotes animal welfare and the health and economic welfare of Americans. For reasons of politics, that’s not what happened. Between now and the next farm bill, there is an opportunity to work toward legislation that links agricultural policy to health policy to promote more healthful food choices and prevent obesity.
Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor at New York University as well as a consumer activist, award-winning author and scholar in the politics of food and dietary choice. Her research examines scientific, economic and social influences on food choice and obesity with an emphasis on the influence of food industry marketing. Her books explore issues like the effects of food production on dietary intake, food safety, and access to food and nutrition. Her degrees include a Ph.D in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley.
Nestle blogs at foodpolitics.com and engages more than 116,000 followers on her Twitter account, @marionnestle. She received the James Beard Leadership Award in 2013, the same year a 10th anniversary edition of her book “Food Politics” was released from UC Press. Other awards and honors include the Bard College Prison Initiative’s John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service (2010), the National Public Health Hero award from the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health (2011) and the Innovator of the Year Award from the United States Healthful Food Council (2014).
The Liberal Arts Forum invites guests to the Elon campus to engage students in academic conversations on current interdisciplinary topics.