U of A to Host National Food Waste & Hunger Summit This Weekend

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Campus Hunger Initiative and the national Campus Kitchens Project will co-host the third annual Food Waste & Hunger Summit at the U of A Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday in the Arkansas Union.

Experts from leading organizations in the fight against hunger will be leading workshops on advocacy, service and leadership for the 245 student leaders who have registered for the event. The students are from universities all over the country, including the U of A, NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Arkansas Tech University, and represent the next generation of hunger relief in America.

Keynote speakers will be:

• Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
• Rebecca Vallas, managing director of the Poverty to Prosperity Program for The Center for American Progress
• Robert Egger, president and founder of L.A. Kitchen.

Breakout sessions throughout the weekend will focus on five basic themes: the roots of hunger; advocating for change; developing strategy and demonstrating impact; leadership; and building partnerships in a community.

Local experts will present several of these sessions:

• Nicole Civita, affiliated professor and director of the Food Recovery Project at the U of A School of Law: “Shaping a Federal Food Conservation Policy Agenda” 

• Rodica Lisnic, U of A doctoral student: “Student Food Insecurity: Predictors and Solutions” based on research she conducted among U of A students
• Walton College alumnus Helen Chen and U of A undergraduate Christian Bourdo: “Data Management for Program and Partnership Development” based on a system they developed for Razorback Food Recovery  
• U of A graduate student Melissa Terry will co-present: “Growing Healthy Communities: School Gardens, Nutrition Education, and Food Recovery Partnerships”  
• Tyson Foods will host a panel discussion: “Collaborating for Solutions: Public-Private Partnerships for Hunger Relief”
• Mollie Kenerson, Katie Mashino, Moriah Santago and Noa Borkan will present on their work with FoodCorps in Fayetteville Public Schools

A full schedule for the weekend sessions is available online.

This is the third Food Waste & Hunger Summit organized by The Campus Kitchens Project, the leading national nonprofit empowering students to fight hunger and food waste.

The U of A Campus Hunger Initiative operates the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry and the Razorback Food Recovery program at the university. It is a part of the U of A Center for Community Engagement. The initiative is able to co-host the summit thanks to a $225,000 grant from Tyson Foods Inc. The grant provided funding for both the Food Pantry and the Food Recovery program, but also encouraged the group to host a national conference on campus-based food programs.

The 2016 Food Waste & Hunger Summit is presented by AARP Foundation, CoBank, Tyson Foods, and Walmart Foundation, with additional support from Ameriprise Financial, ELCA World Hunger, Sodexo Foundation, and the National Dairy Council.

About The Campus Kitchens Project: Founded in 2001, The Campus Kitchens Project is a national organization that empowers student volunteers to fight hunger and food waste in their community. On more than 50 university and high school campuses across the country, students transform unused food from dining halls, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers’ markets into meals that are delivered to local agencies serving those in need. By taking the initiative to run a community kitchen, students develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills, along with a commitment to serve their community, that they will carry with them into future careers. Each Campus Kitchen goes beyond meals by using food as a tool to promote poverty solutions, implement garden initiatives, participate in nutrition education, and convene food policy events. To learn more about our work or bring The Campus Kitchens Project to your school, visit www.campuskitchens.org.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.