Food Tank is excited for South by Southwest (SXSW) 2020 in Austin, TX March 13–22 next year. As part of SXSW’s Panel Picker process, Food Tank has submitted three possible panels convening leaders in the food movement. We believe that these panels will help create conversation, inspire action, and continue to build the food movement.
We’ve developed three ideas that we think can engage eaters and activists, thinkers and doers, and all sorts of movers and shakers who are working to change the way we produce and consume food.
We hope you’ll consider the below ideas we’ve come up with and cast your vote!
1. The LGBTQ+ Community and the Good Food Movement
Today, more consumers want to know about where their food comes from—including the stories of farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, activists, and chefs putting food on plates around the world. A lot still remains for the Good Food Movement to include and support all communities, especially the LGBTQ+ community. This session will highlight the contributions and challenges of the queer community in food and agriculture, exploring current levels of visibility and access. Speakers Nikiko Masumoto of Masumoto Family Farm, Keegan Kautzky of the World Food Prize, and Nate Looney of Westside Urban Gardens will come together to celebrate what it means to be a queer participant in the food system.
2. The U.S./Mexico Border and the Food System
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, roughly half of farmworkers are immigrants. And along the supply chain, nearly every piece of food is touched by an immigrant worker. The U.S. food and agricultural system depends on these immigrants who often place their rights, safety, and livelihoods on the line for opportunity—but today, organizers are working hard to build alliances advocating for workers’ rights. Speakers Teresa Romero of United Farm Workers, Baldemar Velasquez of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, and Joann Lo of the Food Chain Workers Alliance will join features writer Gustavo Arellano of the Los Angeles Times to discuss plans toward a fair, transparent, and humane food system.
3. Citizen Eaters: Food Voters in the 2020 Election
Citizen eaters passionate about the food system must do more than vote with their fork: with the 2020 presidential campaign in full swing, eaters must also cast their votes for a more environmentally, economically, and socially just food system in the next election. Guided by leaders in policy and political food advocacy, this panel will discuss the issues and platforms at the center of the presidential election. Speakers Navina Khanna of HEAL Food Alliance, Chef and food policy advocate Spike Mendelsohn, and Bob Martin of the Center for a Livable Future will outline advocacy techniques each eater can employ for a better food system.
Photo courtesy of Shelley Hiam.
