Health, hunger, environment, animal welfare, and farmworker justice are all core parts of the global food system that are in need of reform. But, too often, they are seen as separate issues, with organizations focusing narrowly and missing how they can work together on the whole. There needs to be a united effort, a mixing of missions and actions, a positive contamination of ideas and energy between groups. Food Day, on October 24 every year, is America’s campaign to improve its food system. It brings together people from all walks of life – public health officials, students, teachers, farmers, food bloggers, mayors and governors, national nonprofit organizations – to get out of their silos and collaborate with one another to change the country’s diet and food policies. While those disparate groups don’t see eye to eye on everything, there are countless opportunities where they can build on each other’s strengths, cross-pollinating ideas for the common good...

Lilia Smelkova is Campaign Manager for Food Day at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. Food Day, on October 24, is a grassroots effort to improve the U.S. food system. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., Lilia worked for Slow Food International in Bra, Italy, for over 10 years where she initiated the Slow Food network in Eastern and Central Europe and Canada, supervised international education programs and launched the Slow Food European network of school canteens. While at Slow Food, she also worked on the core team that planned the first Terra Madre, a meeting of food communities from 150 countries, and guided an expedition of Italian scientists along the Silk Road to research food preferences and genetics. Lilia holds a Master of Science in environment and development from King’s College London and a certificate in environmental management from UC Berkeley, where she co-authored a nutrition education study.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx