Livestream: University of Vermont Hosts Food Systems Summit Online

UVM’s first-ever food system summit seeks to answer the question: “How can we create regional food systems that are viable alternatives to the conventional one that exists now?”

On June 28, 2012, 1-6:30PM EST, University of Vermont Continuing Education will webcast its public conference “The Necessary (r)Evolution for Sustainable Food Systems Amplified” live from Burlington, VT, to provide access to viewers worldwide.

“The future of food is small – small farms, small-scale agriculture, specialty food makers, farmers markets, and CSAs. Small means big change. And small is getting bigger. Let’s have a big, worldwide conversation about that,” said Cynthia Belliveau, dean at University of Vermont Continuing Education and key planner for the summit.

UVM is bringing together influential and innovative voices from the sustainable food movement for this day of inspiration and call to action. Speakers include representatives from Oxfam America, FarmsReach, Om Organics, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, Real Food Challenge, Closed Loop Capital, Center for a Livable Future Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University (Check out the full list of speakers here). Speakers will take the stage, give 10-15 minute talks, and then join the audience. The next speaker will immediately follow. There will be two breaks during the conference.

You can view the live-streamed conference from the UVM Food Feed blog or the University of Vermont Continuing Education Facebook page. Sit back and listen to internationally renowned speakers, and participate in conversation using the #UVMsummit hashtag or follow @UVMFoodFeed on Twitter. (Post your comments and questions – and UVM will answer them on their blog after the conference).

“Our food system is broken. We need change. Let’s start the conversation with experts who have succeeded in making change,” Belliveau said “If we are the change we want to see in the world, let’s get together, share knowledge, inspire each other, then take action.”

UVM is encouraging individuals, groups, and organizations to host viewing parties. Hosting a viewing party is an opportunity to rally your community and start conversations on sustainability and local food systems. Learn how to host your own here.

The conference is sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s and Sodexo.

Read more on the UVM Food Feed blog.