Reflect on the past year of food justice efforts and accomplishments, including Cook County’s adoption of the Good Food Purchasing Policy, make meaningful connections, and collectively imagine how we can transform the food system to support health and equity for all.

The day will consist of workshops, speakers, hands-on activities, food demos, a marketplace of resources and vendors, and a Food Business Clinic.

Building upon the success of our inaugural 2018 Urban Environmental Justice Conference, our conference this year will focus on environmental and food justice. The conference will take place at HSPH on March 2, 2019. Our conference goals are to identify successful strategies and community-based partnerships, articulate collaborative roles for academic research institutions, and develop actionable goals. Additionally, we want our academic community to better understand the importance of environmental justice and take on a community-oriented approach in our public health education, research, and practice.

We invite faith leaders and laypeople, hunger relief advocates, farmers, farm workers, community organizers, community gardeners, food council members, extension agents and others to join us March 12-13th, 2019 in Charlotte, NC to examine the root causes of hunger and collaborate to build a more just food system. At the 2019 Come to the Table Conference, we hope to energize attendees to go back to their communities with the knowledge to challenge the systemic nature of hunger and the skills and connections to grow structures based in justice. The 2019 Conference will:

• Share resources, tools & knowledge to support attendees in being effective community organizers for a more just food system
• Provide space for the knowledge and wisdom in the room to be shared and for us all to learn together
• Provide space for people to connect with each other and build relationships that will sustain and support their work