Mosaic's Hunger-Relief Forum Examines the Roots of Hunger During Hunger Action Month

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic Company 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