Food for Thought: A Symposium Devoted to Food, Policy, and Community in Arkansas
Sponsored by the Arkansas Journal of Social Change and Public Service
Friday, October 26th, 2012
Friday Courtroom
University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
1201 McMath Ave
Little Rock, AR 72202
Schedule
The History of Street Vending in America
(9:00 – 9:45 am)
Presentation on street vending from our nation’s infancy to present day.
Food Trucks in the Little Rock Landscape
(10:00 – 10:45 am)
Panelists discuss the emergence of food trucks in Central Arkansas, some of the novel ways in which they bring new food to new audiences, combat food deserts, and coexist (or not) with brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Trends in food and commerce in Arkansas
(11:00 – 11:45 am)
Has our landscape meaningfully changed, and has that changed our access to healthy food? What affects our attitudes: our kitchens or our take-out options? Is “healthy eating” truly a community issue, or is it luxury accessible only to certain socioeconomic strata? What are the roles, both symbiotic and individual, of restaurants, growers, farmers markets, and community gardens in achieving food security?
What is Corporate America’s Role in Food Security?
(1:00 – 1:45 pm)
Panelists discuss whether and how big business plays a role in combating food insecurity, along with attendant policy concerns in providing food safely and efficiently on a regional, national, and global scale.
Food Insecurity on the Local Level – Problems and Solutions
(2:00 – 3:00 pm)
Panelists examine the current landscape of food insecurity in Arkansas, and look at solutions that are being implemented in the state.
Frontiers of Food Security – Social Justice Implications and Legislative Solutions
(3:00 – 4:00 pm)
Access to food as a social justice issue: is there an affirmative duty of states to eliminate food insecurity through legislation and funding? How can we harness the power of state agencies, state lawmaking authority to combat food insecurity? Should we? What are the boundaries?