The Good Food Festival, Food Policy Conference in Chicago (Friday, March 17, 20017) is where the top-down meets the bottom-up. As in past years, the conference provides a forum for local and national participants to spend a day drawing on current food systems topics and initiatives to connect and exchange learning leading to action.

People following all aspects of food system work will have the opportunity to learn about upcoming potential changes to the farm bill and other federal legislation affecting the way we eat and have access to food. Recent focus on the tremendous role of food in Climate Change is starting to make an impact in the policy discussion forum. Find out what policies will support a less impactful and more robust future.

Labor issues are also front and center today with the recent attention to immigrants and undocumented workers. Learn more about Sanctuary Restaurants and how we can improve wages and working conditions for our nation’s 12 million restaurant workers.

Grassroots action oriented workshops will share updates and address how to make food systems change at the local level through coalition building, cooperatives and training. Local groups include The Chicago Food Policy Action Council, Advocates for Urban Agriculture and several Chicago Cooperatives.

We are pleased to welcome our local friends as well as national speakers from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Institute for Justice, Food Policy Action Network, James Beard Foundation and the Chef Action Network and many more. Please join us on Friday March 17 and get energized and get activated!