Inaugural Indiana Hunger Summit seeks to foster collaboration to fight food insecurity
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It is estimated that one in eight Hoosiers faces the issue of hunger, and an event is being held Thursday in Indianapolis to bring together all links in the food chain from around Indiana to seek solutions.
The Indiana Hunger Summit, taking place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, is the brainchild of Heidi Spahn, global community investment leader for Indianapolis-based Corteva Agriscience.
“I thought that as a state, we can do better in addressing food insecurity if we come together and collaborate and network and think about ways that we can address this challenge,” Spahn said.
Spahn told Inside INdiana Business Host Gerry Dick that the discussion at the inaugural event will focus on providing access to organizations and individuals related to the challenge of hunger.
“By working across the entire food system, from production distribution, we have the power to create real change,” she said. “Attendees at the summit include everyone from nonprofit partners that are already doing work in this space, to academia to for-profit and government…coming together and being able to talk and to collaborate and have an action plan.”
Among the featured speakers at the event will be Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot; Kip Tom, a Hoosier farmer and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; and Indianapolis-based restauranteur and philanthropist Martha Hoover.
Spahn said in addition to the various speakers and panelists, the summit will feature an innovation showcase for organizations to spotlight the work they’re currently doing to fight hunger.
“Some of it is very innovative work, and that might be able to be replicated; something great that’s happening down in southwest Indiana that could be replicated other parts of the state, or vice versa,” she said. “There’s really great work happening, but it’s about collaboration and innovation coming together.”
The summit will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Purdue Extension building on the fairgrounds.
While the event is taking place for this first time on Thursday, Spahn said she believes it could become an annual or biannual event.
“Based on the interest we’ve had, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a repeat event,” she said. “It’s really about creating pathways that lead Hoosiers to having nutritious food…and really just doing that through collaboration, actionable solutions.”