The U.S. Food System

The U.S. Food System Symposium will host outstanding scholars in the field, generate more conversation about the component parts of the U.S. food system, what is broken, and what youth can do to help fix it. Our syposium will provide an introduction to the U.S. food system and  will focus on food justice from the lens of policy, nutrition, economics, and human rights. The Symposium facilitate learning of an inter-generational audience to increase awareness and catalyze action about food justice. To join us for this exciting event, please register by February 2016. 

​The food system is the largest industry in the United States. The  food system touches so many aspects of our society - we cannot ignore how it shapes our public health,  human rights situation, economics, and culture. Some facts below help put the scale of the U.S. food system in perspective:
  • $1.2 trillion: Total food purchases in U.S. 
  • 13%: Percentage of workforce devoted to food distribution alone
  • 17 million: Number of U.S. households that have uncertain or limited  access nutritional food.

Food Security in the United States

Food Security:  
“When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life” (The World Food Summit of 1996). 
Food insecurity is one of the major consequences of our fragmented food system. 
For more on Food Security, please click here.