The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a crippling effect on global and local food systems, laying bare the underlying vulnerabilities and inequalities that were always present but generally overlooked or ignored. The pandemic now forces a re-evaluation of a range of issues such as supply chain management, food safety, food sovereignty, and security, as well as employment and workers’ rights.
The Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center has compiled a list of upcoming webinars to help our readers to stay up to date on how COVID-19 is impacting the food system and how food policy advocates and changemakers are responding.
Food Producers in the Pandemic
Organized By: James Beard Foundation
When: Thursday, May 14th, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Length: One hour
About: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on the American food supply chain, including farmers and producers, that will last for years to come. Eric Deeble, Policy Director at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, joins James Beard Foundation’s webinar to talk about the effect COVID-19, and policies related to the pandemic, have had on farmers, and what chefs and culinary professionals can do to support local and sustainable farms.
Registration/Enrollment: Here
Seed Saving: Preserving Biodiversity and Building Community
Organized By: Slow Food USA
When: Thursday, May 14th, 2:00 – 3 PM EDT
Length: 60-minutes
About: This webinar will teach you about the processes involved in saving seeds and how to build community while preserving food biodiversity. Seed-saving is a valuable tool for building food sovereignty and preserving food biodiversity. Speakers include Jeff Quattrone, co-chair of the Slow Food USA Northeast Ark of Taste Committee as well as the founder of the Library Seed Bank and Sovereignty Gardens; Ben Cohen, author, herbalist, gardener, seed-saver, and educator; and Hillie Salo creator of One Seed One Community, a community initiative to grow and save seeds for seed libraries and the community.
Registration: Here
Cash and Food Distribution During COVID-19
Organized By: The Food Security and Nutrition Network
When: Wednesday, May 13th, 6:00 – 7:10 AM ET and 10:00 – 11:15 AM EDT
Length: 70-minutes and 75-minutes
About: The COVID-19 pandemic is increasing the number of people around the world who are suffering from hunger. This webinar will provide an opportunity for speakers to share and reflect on how they are adapting food assistance modalities in response to COVID-19 and discuss how to prioritize learning and capacity-strengthening needs to be addressed through future engagements under the Cash and Food Distribution learning stream.
Registration: Here
COVID-19: Keeping Our Food Safe During COVID-19
Organized By: New York Academy of Science
When: Monday, May 18, 2020, 12:00 – 1:15 PM EDT
Length: 75-minutes
About: This webinar will explore the food-safety considerations and implications of the global COVID-19 pandemic from the standpoint of both consumer concerns and food production. Specifically, viewers will learn about the changes to food production (including preparation, handling, and oversight) that have occurred in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic; how the food sector is responding to protect consumers from exposure to COVID-19; and how the health of workers throughout the food supply chain can be protected during the current pandemic.
Registration: Here
What’s Next: COVID -19 Benefit Summit – Conversations for Change Online Summit
Organized By: Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy
When: Sunday, May 17th, 9am-5pm
Length: 8-hours
About: A virtual conference to bridge mental health, education and environmental initiatives that will aid people to thrive in their micro-worlds during this crisis, as well as supplying them with knowledge for the future. The conference will culminate with a collective exploration of the question, “What’s next?’” by combining the principles of permaculture, positive psychology, community, health (movement) & leadership by bringing world leaders together for an Online Conference and Discussion to provide proactive tips for families, communities and educators to thrive during this time.
Register: Here
Menu Planning for Non-Congregate Meals
Organized By: No Kid Hungry
When: Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Length: 60-minutes
About: Join this webinar to learn about how to plan and procure healthy, nutritious meals for kids in your community, and about keeping those meals safe on hotter days. Participants will hear from Jen McNeil of LunchAssist, Aleshia Hall-Campbell of the Institute on Child Nutrition, and Miguel Villareal of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
Registration: Here
Addressing the Needs of At-Risk Populations During COVID-19
Organized By: The Food Security and Nutrition Network, IDEAL, and USAID
When: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – 8:00 to 9:30 AM EDT
Length: 90-minutes
About: COVID-19 is threatening the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities across the world. This webinar will share and reflect on what has been learned so far about how to adapt food security programming to assess and address the needs of at-risk populations during the pandemic.
Registration: Here
Delivering Food and Nutrition Content During COVID-19 Webinar
Organized By: Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy
When: Friday, May 22, 2020 – 1:00 to 2:00 PM EDT
Length: 60-minutes
About: This webinar will discuss how to produce digital food and nutrition education content. Key areas of focus will include tailoring interventions to your audience, basic filming and video editing tips, and developing content for Google Classrooms. Hear from FoodCorps and Common Threads as they describe how they are developing high-quality digital content for their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Registration: Here
Better Together: Improving Food Security and Nutrition by Linking Market and Food Systems
Organized By: The Food Security and Nutrition Network and World Vision
When: Wednesday, May 27th, 9:00 AM EDT
Length: N/A
About: World Vision and its partners will come together to discuss a literature review of market and food systems; the importance of bringing the market to vulnerable households; how to empower women and meet nutritional outcomes; and adopting inclusive market and food system models.
Registration: Here
COVID-19: Food Security in the Pandemic
Organized By: The New York Academy of Science
When: Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM EDT
Length: 75-minutes
About: This webinar will discuss the agricultural value chain — everything that happens from farm to fork — and how COVID-19 is impacting each stage of the chain. More specifically, viewers will learn about factors that affect the food supply chain and how the ongoing pandemic affects our collective food security; domestic and global aspects of the food supply chain; and how populations with special needs can be supported through this period.
Registration: Here
Inspiring Discussions on Improving the Post-COVID Food System from Food Talk Live
Organized By: The Food Tank
When: Every weekday at 1 PM and 5 PM ET
Length: 30-minutes
About: Food Tank’s Danielle Nierenberg will be interviewing a range of experts in the food policy space each weekday, twice a day, for the foreseeable future to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting their work and how they view the future of the food industry.
Registration: Here
