1:00pm ET

Welcome

Jack Gillis, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America

Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy
Consumer Federation of America

1:05pm – 1:35pm ET

Keynote Address

To Be Announced

1:35pm – 2:30pm ET

Facilitated Discussion: The Consumer Landscape Post-COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in unprecedented changes in how consumers feed themselves. Dramatic declines in restaurant dining coincided with steep growth in shelf-stable foods purchases, a surge in online ordering, and even heightened interest in bread baking. As industry scrambled to meet shifting demand, regulators took a more permissive approach to inspections, labeling and other requirements. As the pandemic recedes, which of these trends will prove to be ephemeral, and which signal lasting food system transformations?

2:35pm – 3:30pm ET

Facilitated Discussion: Nutrition Security and COVID-19: Exploring the Connections

Studies across the globe have documented a devastating synergy between COVID-19 and diet-related disease. In the U.S., public health authorities have estimated that 78% of U.S. patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were overweight or had obesity. At the same time, early indicators suggest that the pandemic and related economic disruption are contributing to more diet-related disease, including among children. What are the connections between the COVID-19 pandemic and nutrition security? How can public policy help to reduce diet-related disease and improve health equity?

3:35pm – 4:00pm ET

Keynote Address

To Be Announced

4:00pm ET

Adjourn

1:00pm ET

Welcome

Jack Gillis, Executive Director
Consumer Federation of America

Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy
Consumer Federation of America

1:05pm – 1:35pm ET

Keynote Address

To Be Announced

1:35pm – 2:30pm ET

Facilitated Discussion: Fighting the Climate Crisis through the Food System

Runaway climate change threatens to overwhelm the planet’s capacity to produce enough food for humanity, but policymakers are betting that food system reform can help to put the brakes on greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-focused agricultural practices feature prominently in recent U.S. emission reduction targets under the Paris Accords. Congress and the Biden Administration have taken significant actions to create incentives for farmers, ranchers and foresters to reduce emissions and sequester carbon. How will these new programs affect the food system? What role should carbon markets play in agriculture? What is the future of climate-focused agriculture?

2:35pm – 3:30pm ET

Facilitated Discussion: What Food Workers Need

Food workers represent some of the lowest paid professions in the U.S., with millions of food workers experiencing food insecurity themselves. In addition to low pay, many food workers also contend with unstable employment arrangements, dysfunctional labor markets, and dangerous working conditions. During the pandemic, food workers were deemed “essential,” and found themselves exposed to significant new risks, often without significant new compensation. Worker advocates now hope to leverage a newfound appreciation for food workers into concrete public policy reforms. What public policies are most important for improving the plight of food workers? What are the prospects for reform?

3:35pm – 4:00pm ET

Keynote Address

To Be Announced

4:00pm ET

Adjourn