Improving Food and Nutrition Security During COVID-19 and the Economic Recovery

To view the Improving Food and Nutrition Security During COVID-19, The Economic Recovery, and Beyond report, click here. 

The public health and economic challenges caused by COVID-19 exacerbated inequities in food and nutrition security. Lack of access to affordable, nutritious foods and poor diet quality can have profound impacts on health outcomes, health care costs, productivity, and our children’s ability to learn and grow. While temporary flexibilities and benefit increases for programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school meal programs, have helped, many will end soon, leaving the long-term challenges of food and nutrition insecurity unaddressed.

To address these issues, the Bipartisan Policy Center convened a Task Force comprised of 19 distinguished public and private sector leaders. On September 13, the Food and Nutrition Security Task Force will release the first of three policy briefs, focused on federal policy recommendations to improve food and nutrition security during COVID-19 and the economic recovery.

---

Featured Participants:

Introduction by:

Bill Hoagland
Senior Vice President, BPC
@billhoagland

Keynote remarks by:

Sec. Tom Vilsack
Secretary, United States Department of Agriculture

BPC Food and Nutrition Task Force Co-Chairs:

Sec. Dan Glickman
Former USDA Secretary, BPC Senior Fellow
@DanRGlickman

Sec. Ann Veneman
Former USDA Secretary, BPC Senior Fellow

José Andrés
Founder of World Central Kitchen
@chefjoseandres

Leslie Sarasin
President and CEO of The Food Industry Association (FMI)
@FMI_ORG

Panel discussion with:

Ihuoma U. Eneli, M.D.
Director of Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Kristina Herrmann
Director of Underserved Populations, Amazon

Robert Paarlberg, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Wellesley College; Associate, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Weatherhead Center

Pam Schwartz
Executive Director of Community Health, Kaiser Permanente

Moderated by:

Melissa Maitin-Shepard
Founder and Principal of MMS Health Strategies, LLC, BPC Consultant

In light of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, BPC events have shifted to all remote formats, such as video teleconferences or calls.