Food waste will be the topic of discussion as Michigan State University hosts its second “Our Table” event on Wednesday, March 21.
“Our Table” is a series of public roundtable discussions that aim to help consumers make more informed decisions about food and its impacts on health and the planet. These discussions bring together food experts, agricultural producers, health professionals, and community members to foster dialogue.
The public is invited to attend the March 21 event, which is free and will take place at the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center, 468 Green Way, East Lansing, MI 48824. Tours of the facility begin at 3:30 p.m. with the panel discussion scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Jonathan Bloom, author of “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It),” will be part of the panel. His visit is sponsored in part by the Center for Regional Food Systems.
“Wasted food is a major problem with ethical, environmental, and economic consequences, but it sure doesn’t have to be,” Bloom said. “With a little awareness and effort, America can kick its food waste habit. If we all pledge to treat food like the precious, energy-dense commodity it is, we can dramatically curtail how much of it we squander.”
With a little awareness and effort, America can kick its food waste habit. If we all pledge to treat food like the precious, energy-dense commodity it is, we can dramatically curtail how much of it we squander.
Other panelists include:
- Natalie Molnar, Program Coordinator, Live Green Lansing
- Sriram Narayanan, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, MSU Eli Broad College of Business
Sheril Kirshenbaum, a science communicator and author of “Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future,” is the moderator for “Our Table” conversations. Kirshenbaum is passionate about food and works at the intersection of science and people.
“In the U.S., we waste nearly half of the food produced, accounting for about 31 million tons of food every year,” Kirshenbaum said. “Addressing this enormous challenge is a priority for ‘Our Table’ because better practices will improve food access for struggling communities while conserving energy and water and reducing carbon emissions.”
Kirshenbaum also was instrumental in launching the MSU Food Literacy and Engagement Poll in July 2017.
Panelists will sit at a wooden table made from fallen MSU campus trees crafted for this initiative. It was created by artist Nathan Shaver who works with MSU Shadows, part of the Department of Forestry. The table seats up to eight and features an inlay of the MSU Spartan helmet logo in the middle.
In the U.S., we waste nearly half of the food produced, accounting for about 31 million tons of food every year.
The “Our Table” series is part of Food@MSU, a campus-wide initiative led by the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arts & Letters, and Communication Arts and Sciences.
Those interested in attending the March 21 event are encouraged to register online at events.anr.msu.edu/ourtable.
To learn more about Food@MSU and the “Our Table” events, visit food.msu.edu.
