Food, Health and Vulnerable Americans

Doria Robinson, Executive Director, Urban Tilth

Hilary Seligman, MD, MAS, Associate Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco; Director, Centers for Disease Control’s Nutrition & Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network, Center for Vulnerable Populations, San Francisco General Hospital; Senior Medical Advisor and Lead Scientist, Feeding America

Eli Zigas, Food and Agriculture Policy Director, SPUR

Nikki Silvestri, Former Executive Director, People’s Grocery and Green for All; Co-Founder of Live Real—Moderator

This program is underwritten by The California Wellness Foundation. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 48.1 million people in America are food insecure: they do not have access to fresh, affordable, healthy food. This is the result of many interconnected factors: lack of access to grocery stores in rural communities; an abundance of fast food chains and convenience stores in inner-city communities; and a culture that subsidizes high-calorie, low-nutrient leisure foods instead of produce. As our health suffers as a national community, we are witnessing obesity, heart disease, diabetes become the public health epidemics of this generation. How can we create communities where healthy food is accessible, appealing and affordable? Join our panel of experts as they discuss the current state of the American food system, its impact on our health and on our most vulnerable populations.