Anna Prizzia
Director, Office of Sustainability
University of Florida

In my role with the UF Office of Sustainability I hosted the first Florida Food Summit, which took place in April 2010, invited leaders from across our food system to:

1. Raise awareness and understanding of the complexities and interconnectedness of our food system

2. Provide opportunities for engagement and networking

3. Serve as a forum for discussion among diverse stakeholders interested in strengthening farm-to-institution networks

Top-level representatives from organizations such as the Farm Bureau, the Florida Department of Agriculture, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Southeast Milk, Florida Department of Education, distributors such as Sysco – Fresh Point and Global Organics, UF/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and members local government attended the program, providing diverse perspectives from across all sectors of our food system. Having these diverse viewpoints allowed for a balanced conversation that allowed us to explore the issues of food security in Florida, and specifically farm-to-institution sourcing, from all angles.

Thanks to the interdisciplinary collaboration that developed the event programming, including a unique photgraphy installation that is now a traveling exhibit, a one day campus farmers market, and and facilitated conversations that encouraged broad participation by food-system leaders and the public, the summit was a great success. In addition to laying the groundwork for an ongoing discussion about food security in our state, it provided important feedback that stakeholder analysis research was the number-one need in moving forward with conversations and action that could lead to changes in providing local Florida food to our state’s citizens.

UF is currently working to build on this foundation of success and host the second Florida Food Summit in February 2012. In order to facilitate the next steps for dialogue, one of the partners for the first event – UF’s newly created -Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center) –will work with the Office of Sustainability to conduct a needs assessment. We are also seeking the support of our state agencies for this effort as this research would determine the perceptions and attitudes of key stakeholders in food security in our state with the farm-to-school process as a focus. Stakeholders, including fruit and vegetable producers (both large and small), food distributors, school nutrition directors, food service providers and cafeteria workers, and parents of school-aged children would be targeted with both quantitative survey research and qualitative focus group research. The results of this work will be the platform for the planned facilitated discussions at the proposed 2012 summit.

In addition, in my role as director for the office I am working directly to integrate the principles of sustainability into our campus food system in a number of ways. I am currently serving on a committee to develop an interdisciplinary teaching farm, am actively involved in re-developing and enhancing our student community agricultural gardens, and work with our dining service provider, Aramark Higher Education Group– Gator Dining Services to develop an action plan for implementing sustainability in food service operations, including regional sourcing of food, green catering, waste management and diversion, energy conservation, transportation impacts, sustainable procurement, communications and marketing. And, as an individual, I also serve as the leader for our local Slow Food chapter, and am involved in a number of community initiatives involving local and sustainable food system change.

As I endeavor to continue and expand my efforts to work on changing the food system, opportunities like this one, to share and learn from my peers, are invaluable. It is imperative to bring unique and diverse perspectives to conversations as complex as food, and I hope this experience will help me cultivate my ability to incorporate the arts and other interperative ways to communicate.