TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic
Company (NYSE: MOS) today hosted the third annual Hunger-Relief
Forum at the Bradenton Convention
Center. The session brought together local and state policymakers,
agriculture, health and hunger-issues experts for interactive
discussions on the causes of hunger and viable solutions to
increase food access in Florida.
"Many don't realize Florida is
fourth in the nation for family hunger, or that one in six people
in the Tampa Bay area live with
hunger every day," said Mark Kaplan,
Mosaic Senior Vice President - Public Affairs. "At Mosaic, we
recognize that ending hunger is a multifaceted challenge. By
bringing people together to better understand the roots of hunger,
we hope to find sustainable solutions for food insecurity here in
Florida."
The day-long forum kicked off with keynote speaker Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and
Consumer Services Adam H. Putnam.
Commissioner Putnam provided an
update on "Florida's Roadmap to Living Healthy" program, the
first statewide map that correlates lack of access to nutritious
food with poor health indicators in an advanced web-based GIS
(Geographic Information Systems) tool. The program was introduced
at last year's Florida Hunger-Relief Forum.
"The abundance provided by Florida agriculture gives our state a unique
opportunity to confront hunger in our communities," said
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. "By evaluating our communities'
diverse needs through 'Florida's
Roadmap to Living Healthy,' Florida can better connect its abundant
resources to those in need and create more positive and healthy
outcomes."
Additional speakers included:
- Eileen Hyde with Feeding America
shared information about the organization's Collaborating for
Clients initiative to improve outcomes related to family
stability.
- Sara Johnson, Ph.D., with John
Hopkins University School of Medicine discussed the impact of
poverty on health and education and potential interventions to
address food insecurity.
- Mari Gallagher, an independent
food researcher and author of the 2006 breakthrough study
Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in
Chicago, provided an update on
how the state's web-based GIS tool helped identify even more "food
deserts" across Florida. Food
deserts are areas without ready access to fresh, healthy, and
affordable foods.
Panel discussions were also held to address the economic and
health impacts of hunger, how to meet the agricultural demand, how
to recover secondary produce for distribution to those who are food
insecure, and the changing faces of clients at local food banks.
Expert panelists included:
Jerry Parrish, Ph.D.,
Florida Chamber Foundation; Paul
Allen, RC Hatton Farms; Al
Brislain, Harry Chapin Food Bank; Brian West, Publix Super Markets;
Julie Weil, MD, Nemours
Children's Hospital; Tim Center, Capital Area Community
Action Agency; Tim Ferguson,
Ed.D, Executive Director, Grace
Place; Jim Walker,
Florida Community Loan Fund; Scott
Kashman, Cape Coral Hospital; Dave Krepcho, Second Harvest Food Bank of
Central Florida; and
Jan Baskin, Florida Hospital
Carrollwood/Adventist Health System.
Robert Karimi, The Peoples
Cook Project, demonstrated an innovative approach to combining
healthy food choices, culture, art and cooking.
About The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company
Foundation
The Mosaic Company is the world's leading producer and marketer
of concentrated phosphate and potash, two essential crop nutrients.
Driven by its mission to help the world grow the food it needs,
Mosaic is committed to working toward improved global food security
and protecting critical water resources. The Mosaic Company and The
Mosaic Company Foundation make investments in and partner with
best-of-class leaders in the focus areas of food, water and local
community investments. More information about Mosaic is available
at: www.mosaicco.com.
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SOURCE The Mosaic Company