MISSOULA – 

Food activist and author Mark Winne will speak about community food security Monday, April 12, at The University of Montana.

He will present “Closing the Food Gap: Finding Our Way to a Just and Sustainable Food System for All” at 7 p.m. in Gallagher Business Building Room 122. The event is free and open to the public.

Winne argues that no matter what aspect of the subject is considered – hunger, obesity or the latest food trends – food is emblematic of a promise fulfilled for some but falls short for so many. He will talk about how food is a glaring example of the wide gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” and will offer compelling solutions for making local, organic and nutritious food available for everyone. 

Winne is a co-founder of the Community Food Security Coalition and project director of the coalition’s Food Policy Council. He has worked for 35 years to close the food gap – from organizing breakfast programs for low-income children in Maine and tackling the flight of grocery stores from inner-city Hartford, Conn., to developing innovative national food policies in Washington, D.C. 

He is the author of the acclaimed book “Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty.” His second book, “Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners, and Smart-Cookin’ Mamas,” will be released this fall by Beacon Press. 

Winne’s presentation is sponsored by UM’s Environmental Studies Program, the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, Garden City Harvest and the Missoula Food Bank. For more information, call UM environmental studies Associate Professor Neva Hassanein at 406-243-6271 or e-mail neva.hassanein@umontana.edu .

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos of Winne and the book cover are available by calling Neva Hassanein at 406-243-6271 or e-mailing neva.hassanein@umontana.edu .

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