Food First Celebrates 40th Anniversary with Panel Event Featuring Food Movement Leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Alexandra Toledo, Development Director
Food First/Institute for Food & Development Policy
398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618
Email: atoledo@foodfirst.org
Tel: (510) 654-4400, ext. 221

OAKLAND, Calif., March 20, 2015 – In celebration of its 40th year, the Institute for Food and Development Policy, better known as Food First, will host a special panel discussion Wednesday, May 20th , at the Clif Bar auditorium in Emeryville, CA.

The event, titled “Spotlight on Food First: Shaping the Food Debate for 40 Years,” will feature food movement leaders including Food First co-founder Frances Moore Lappé, author of the revolutionary best-seller Diet for a Small Planet, and current Executive Director Eric Holt-Giménez. Other panelists include former and current Food First board members from around the country: Michael Dorsey, Expert on Global Governance, Finance, and Sustainability; Rosalinda Guillén, Executive Director of Community to Community in Bellingham Washington, winner of the 2014 Food Sovereignty Prize; LaDonna Redmond, founder of the Campaign for Food Justice Now in Chicago; and Shyaam Shabaka, Founder of EcoVillage Farm and Learning Center in Richmond, CA. Food First board member Nikki Silvestri, Social Innovation Strategist and former Executive Director of People’s Grocery and Green for All, will moderate the discussion.

For 40 years Food First has worked with integrity, vision and passion. I am eagerly anticipating the next 40 years and beyond – and I hope many more can join us on this path. – Food First board member Michael Dorsey

The event will begin with a VIP reception at 5:00 pm with the panelists followed by the panel discussion at 6:30 pm. The panelists will speak about their work shaping the debate around food, agriculture, and development. The panel will be followed by a book signing with Eric Holt-Giménez and Frances Moore Lappé. Food First titles will be available for purchase before and after the event.

Tickets are available for purchase online here or at Pegasus bookstore locations in Oakland and Berkeley. Advance tickets: $100 for both the VIP reception and panel; $45 for the panel event only; and $20 student/low-income solidarity rate (panel only). Space permitting, tickets will be available at the door for an additional $5. Venue is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

As Food First Board member Dr. Michael Dorsey states, “For 40 years Food First has worked with integrity, vision and passion. I am eagerly anticipating the next 40 years and beyond – and I hope many more can join us on this path.”

For more information on special events and publications, visit www.foodfirst.org throughout 2015 or contact Development Director Alexandra Toledo.

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