Food. It consumes us and we consume it. It’s what keeps us going everyday. Whether healthy or unhealthy, the calories we consume fuel more than just our minds and bodies – it fuels government subsidies, television marketing, sporting events, and lately, ups and downs in the stock market. From Michael Pollan to Morgan Spurlock, even Hollywood has gotten involved in the consumptive conversation about food. And that’s where the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) comes in. They are the organizers for Food Day 2012 – a day to celebrate one of the most valuable and powerful commodities known to man.
But Food Day wasn’t created to celebrate just any food, it was created to promote healthy, more affordable, and more sustainable food. And it’s not just about eating good food (although that is highly encouraged and makes any event better), it’s also about starting a community conversation around all the things in our society affected by our food choices – health, policy, rights, and welfare – just to name a few. Helping people – rich or poor, thin or overweight, powerful or waiting to be empowered – understand how changing food environments can make a world of difference and can make a difference in the world, is what Food Day 2012 is all about. That’s why the Commons supports CSPI and Food Day 2012 and encourages you, as community leaders and health advocates, to plan an event or make a pledge to take action about a food related issue in your community on October 24, 2012.
It’s just one day, and you were most likely going to eat that day anyway, so why not take your friends, co-workers, or family to a place that sells locally grown food, and start talking about the future of food?
Here’s a little more info:
Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), it is powered by a diverse coalition of food movement leaders, organizations, and people from all walks of life. Food Day takes place annually on October 24 to address issues as varied as health and nutrition, hunger, agricultural policy, animal welfare, and farm worker justice. Last year, in the inaugural year of the Food Day campaign, over 2,300 events took place in all 50 states.
Getting involved with Food Day is easy, rewarding, and fun, and there are lots of ways to plug in. The events vary depending on the needs of the community, and include health fairs, lectures, panels and demonstrations, sustainable community meals, petitions, food drives, and much more.
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