James Beard Foundation® announced participation in the Biden-Harris Administration’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health

Primary tabs

The James Beard Foundation® announced its participation in the Biden-Harris Administration’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health on Wednesday, September 28th in Washington, DC—the first time the conference has convened in over 50 years. This gathering will bring together more than 500 attendees from Congress, industry, philanthropy, advocacy organizations, and more. The conference’s goal is to “end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030, so that fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.” At the end of the conference, the White House will release a national strategy aimed at achieving that goal.

 

The James Beard Foundation is honored to contribute to this historic event by curating the conference’s breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack and joining other leaders in the room fighting for a food system where healthful food is accessible to all. Attendees will enjoy nutritious, delicious dishes from Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership alum, chef Adrian Lipscombe; James Beard Award nominee, chef Crystal Wahpepah, James Beard Award nominee, chef Erik Bruner-Yang, and host chef Ronald Reagan Building Executive Chef Houman Gohary. Lunch will be served in reusable lunchboxes that attendees will also take home. The chefs—aligned closely to the Foundation’s mission of Good Food for Good—were selected for the contributions they have made through their platforms and work around issues of food access, equity, and nutrition security.

 

“The James Beard Foundation is honored to be a part of this important gathering. As policymakers and community activists alike recognize, chefs play a crucial role as advocates and frontline workers in the fight to create a more equitable, sustainable, and healthful food culture for all. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang's Power of 10 Initiative, Adrian Lipscombe’s 40 Acres and a Mule, and Crystal Wahpepah’s educative work around the health benefits of Native foodways are just 3 examples of the transformative work chefs are leading in their communities around food,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. Reichenbach will speak on behalf of the Foundation, with Kris Moon, President and COO and Anne E. McBride, Ph.D., Vice President of Programs also in attendance.

 

This year the James Beard Foundation celebrates 10 years of its Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change, the Foundation’s groundbreaking program that trains chefs around the country to advocate for policies and practices that impact the hospitality industry and the food system. For over a decade—since its founding in 2012—hundreds of chef-advocates have successfully advocated at the local, state, and federal level to provide nutritious school meals, protect SNAP recipients, support American fisheries, reduce food waste, and fight for safer, more regenerative food production across the United States.

 

Chefs hold immense cultural weight in our society. More than 163 million people dine out at least once a week (National Restaurant Association); the food and beverage industry is one of the most trusted industry sectors (Edelman Trust Barometer 2022); the restaurant industry is projected to become a $900 billion industry by the end of 2022, and is expected to provide 16.9 million jobs by 2030 (National Restaurant Association). This enormous platform uniquely positions chefs—who sit at the intersection of customers, staff, the local community, retailers, packagers, farmers, and more—to be powerful accelerators of change. Diners are also constituents, and the decisions a chef makes can set the table to a better food system— whether it is through the ingredients and farms they choose to support, the compensation model of their restaurant, fighting food insecurity in their local community, or advocating for policy changes with a state legislator.

 

Thanks to the generosity of our partners ChobaniGoogleInstacartKroger, and Oatly,-  and with the in-kind support of the International Fresh Produce Association, Keany Produce & Gourmet, OXO, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and Starbucks.

A live broadcast of the conference will be available for viewing on Wednesday. Viewers can click here to register and receive the link to watch. HERE

 

 

Patti Neumann is Founder of CITYPEEK.com & an award-winning website & blog. Based in Napa Valley & Baltimore, she is one of the region's top Social Media Publicists and Influencers on food, sips, hospitality & the good life.

CITYPEEK.com has its finger on the pulse of what's hot in the world of food, cocktails & travel trends. 

Come journey along with our CITYPEEK CEO, Patti Neumann, as she nibbles, sips and shares her taste buds as she travels

Social Media