46th National Food Policy Conference
September 12, 2023

8:15am ET

Welcome

Susan Weinstock
President & CEO
Consumer Federation of America

Thomas Gremillion
Director of Food Policy
Consumer Federation of America

8:30am ET

Keynote

Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD
Assistant Secretary for Health (ash)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

9:00am – 9:50am ET

After the White House Conference

More than a half century since the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, last year’s White House conference raised hopes that federal food policy had reached an inflection point, responding to longstanding calls for a national food policy. On the day of the conference, dozens of private companies and organizations announced public commitments to reduce hunger and diet-related diseases in a wide variety of ways. With the one-year anniversary of the conference approaching, a panel of experts will reflect on the future of food policy.

Moderator
Helena Bottemiller Evich
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Food Fix

Panelists
Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP
Food as Medicine(FAM) Program Director
Elevance Health

Luis Guardia
President
Food Research & Action Center, FRAC

Jennifer Hatcher
Chief Public Policy Officer and Senior Vice President Government Relations & Member Services
The Food Industry Association, FMI

9:50am –10:40am ET

Building a More Equitable Food System

Across the country, community leaders and activists are organizing around access to nutritious food to also address broader issues of public health, sustainability, and systemic racism. How are food system reformers, from grassroots organizers to international foundations, prioritizing food justice in their work? What federal food policy reforms are most needed to address racial disparities in health and welfare outcomes?

Moderator
Caroline Howe
Food Policy Director
DC Office of Planning

Panelists
Delmonte Jefferson
Executive Director
The Center for Black Health & Equity

Anupama Joshi, MS
Vice President for Programs
Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI

Michael Lavender
Policy Director
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

10:40am-11:10am ET

Networking Break /Interactive Activity

11:10am-12:00pm ET

Food Additive Fiasco

Various food ingredients, including non-nutritive sweeteners, dyes, and preservatives, have become the subject of mounting controversy, with some states, notably California, restricting the use of FDA-approved ingredients and food packaging materials. At the same time, new evidence of chemical contaminants, such as heavy metals in baby food, have shaken consumer confidence in the adequacy of U.S. food safety regulations. Is federal policy doing enough to keep the food supply safe?

Moderator
Martin Hahn
Partner, Global Regulatory
Hogan Lovells

Panelists
Bryan Hitchcock
Chief Science & Technology Officer
The Institute of Food Technologists

Brian Kavanagh
New York State Senator(27th District)
Chair, Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development
NY Senate

Brian Ronholm
Director of Food Policy
Consumer Reports

12:00pm ET

Lunch

12:30pm ET

Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Thomas Vilsack
United States Secretary of Agriculture
(pre-recorded)

12:45pm ET

Fireside Chat

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Kades
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Antitrust Division

Marty Irby, President & CEO
Competitive Markets Action

1:30pm-2:20pm ET

What’s in a Label? The Fight Over Mandatory Front-of-Package Labeling Requirements

Countries across the globe have adopted various front-of-package (FOP) labeling schemes in the hopes of facilitating healthier food choices. In the U.S., FDA has initiated a process that many advocates hope will soon result in FOP labeling requirements here. Why is FOP labeling important? How do FOP labels affect food purchasing behavior? What can FDA learn from FOP labeling regimes abroad in designing an effective FOP system? What options are available to the agency under the law? A panel of experts will discuss.

Moderator
Kris Sollid RD, Senior Director, Nutrition Communications
International Food Information Council

Panelists
Hank Cardello
Executive Director, Leadership Solutions for Health and Prosperity
Georgetown University McDonough School of Business

Jessica P. O’Connell
Partner
Covington & Burling LLP

Sarah Sorscher, JD, MPH
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Center for Science in the Public Interest, CSPI
View Presentation

Lindsey Smith Taillie, PHD
Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition
University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health

2:20pm-3:10pm ET

Rethinking Our Approach to Hunger

An estimated 34 million people in the U.S. experience food insecurity, including over 9 million children, with Black, Hispanic and Indigenous households disproportionately affected. Food insecurity contributes to higher rates of diet-related diseases, developmental problems in children, and poor health outcomes in general. The causes of food insecurity, however, are deep and varied, from low wages to lack of childcare to systemic racism. How can public policy best address the needs of individuals experiencing hunger? What are the competing visions of reform?

Moderator
Caree Cotwright, PHD, RDN
Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity
United States Department of Agriculture, USDA
View Presentation

Panelists
Nancy Dalton
Head of Marketing and Community Partnerships
Amazon

Rucha Gadre
Director of Food Security
New Jersey Economic Development Authority

Tambra Raye Stevenson
Founder and CEO
Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture, WANDA

3:10pm-3:40pm ET

Networking Break/Interactive Activity

3:40pm-4:30pm ET

Farm Bill Challenges

The farm bill attracts criticism from all sides, with some policymakers seeking to strip out major provisions like nutrition assistance and crop insurance programs, and others pushing to add new programs to address farmworker safety and the climate crisis. The current farm bill will expire on Sept. 30. What are the most significant reforms on the table? What is at stake if Congress cannot agree on new legislation?

Moderator
Leah Douglas
Agriculture and Energy Policy Reporter
Reuters

Panelists
Roger Cryan
Chief Economist
American Farm Bureau Federation

Scott Faber
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Environmental Working Group, EWG

Rachel Lyons
Legislative Director
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, UFCW

SPONSORS

Underwriter

Amazon

Patrons

American Frozen Food Institute

Danone

FMI – The Food Industry Association

International Fresh Produce Association

The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)

Walmart

Sponsors

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

FoodMinds

International Food Information Council

Rick and Beth Frank

Watkinson Miller PLLC