Third annual Food, Ag and Equity Conference set for Jan. 29-30 in Albany

ALBANY — Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education Inc. will host the third annual Food, Ag and Equity Conference on Jan. 29-30 at the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center in downtown Albany.

“We host it every year (and cater it to) anyone who is genuinely interested (in agriculture),” Amber Bell, program manager for the Southwest Georgia Project, said.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Collaboration and Innovation,” and the keynote speaker is Equal Exchange and Red Tomato founder Michael Rozyne. The conference will feature a fresh food mixer during which southwest Georgia food entrepreneurs will provide samples and sell their products, a homegrown meal coming from produce within 50 miles of the conference venue and three tracks based on the individual’s involvement in the agricultural industry — one for farmers, one for city and county leaders, and one for consumers.

Hurricane Michael brought catastrophic damage to farmers throughout the region on Oct. 10 of last year. Officials with the Southwest Georgia Project said they are bringing agencies together to discuss resources and services available to assist farmers while also exploring food safety, marketing, crop adaptation and farm technology.

Officials say leaders and stakeholders have an important role to play in creating healthy public policies and supportive environments to facilitate access to safe, affordable and nutritious food. The Southwest Georgia Project has pulled together a group of experts from across the state to help guide government leaders and stakeholders to support them when creating action-oriented policies that help increase access to safe and nutritious food.

Presenters expected at the conference include Cicely Garrett, deputy chief resilience officer for the city of Atlanta, and Elizabeth Kramer, director of the Natural Resource Spatial Analysis Laboratory at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

From the consumer and resident standpoint, constant recalls can cause confusion on what to eat and what not to eat. This presents a need to learn how to access safe and nutritious foods, and the importance of learning how to prepare food and what to look for.

Bell said a chef demonstration and sessions with a dietitian are expected at the event, meant to give new insights on how people can prepare their food.

“It is an opportunity to bring all these people in the same room,” she said.

Some of the motivation for bringing these groups together is the barriers that exist in southwest Georgia from accessing healthy foods, which mainly exist in the form of food deserts due a limited number of grocery stores in certain neighborhoods.

“It’s grown,” Bell said. “The first year we had 189 (attendees); the second year we had 230. We are hoping to grow more this year. People are learning things, and people have (given) really good feedback.

“The biggest thing we want to do (is build relationships). The goal is to begin a relationship that supports the establishment of a regional food system.”

There is no cost to attend the conference, and individuals can pre-register at www.swgaproject.com/events or register at the conference. Registration opens at 1 p.m. on Jan. 29, and the first session begins at 2 p.m. The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 30 with a low-impact exercise session.

Bell said individuals do not necessarily need to be at the conference at 8:30 a.m. in order to participate in the activities on Jan. 30.

The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 101 S. Front St. For more information, contact Southwest Georgia Project at (229) 430-9870.