IFB Brings Farm-Food Expert Speaker to College Students

You're Welcome to Hear a Farm/Food Expert Speak at U of I and ISU Campuses This Thursday

Going away to college, students are exposed to new ideas and new experiences. Often, those ideas are shaped by what's most enticing and not what's accurate. That's why reaching college students and young Americans with the wonders and realities of today's agriculture is a critical point for Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and the entire farming community.

To help paint an accurate picture of farming, IFB is helping to bring renowned speaker Charlie Arnot to the University of Illinois and Illinois State University this Thursday. Arnot is the CEO of the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) and will discuss how today's food system can produce more food while using fewer of the planet's resources and the ethics of doing so. As the head of the CFI, Arnot works to separate fact from fiction about food and agriculture production.

Dr. Robert Hughes, University of Illinois professor who teaches about the food system, said, "CFI research helps create a greater understanding of consumer attitudes and the challenges faced by industry stakeholders in building trust in today's food system."

WHEN

Arnot will be a guest lecturer in the U of I ACES' sustainable food systems course in the ACES Library's Monsanto Room on Thursday, January 24, from 2:00 to 3:20 p.m. The lecture is open to the public.

Later that day, Arnot will speak at Illinois State University, in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center at 7 p.m. This presentation is also open to the public.

Illinois Farm Bureau is dedicated to engaging future consumers and is growing its involvement on Illinois campuses. For example,  IFB started the state's first Collegiate Farm Bureau at U of I last year and the IFB Young Leaders sponsor events such as the Collegiate Discussion Meet. If you're interested in building the farm community's connection with students, contact your county Farm Bureau for volunteer opportunities.