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Important Event Will Take Place in Des Moines September 25-26
Those of us who advocate for a better food system have major issues with the factory farming of livestock and its impact on human health, animal welfare, the environment, worker safety and more.
If this is a core concern for you, you may be interested in learning more about Iowa's Harkin Institute and the conference on Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment and Public Health. The event will take place September 25-26 at Drake University in Des Moines.
If you can't make it in person, here's some good news: All panel discussions will be livestreamed.
Formally known as the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, the organization is named for retired U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who spent 12 years as chairman or ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The following is information about the conference from its organizers.
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With extreme weather events, avian influenza outbreaks, and Iowa’s rising cancer rates in the news, it's an important time to examine what policymakers can do to ensure that our food system prioritizes public health. Join the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, as we host this event on a critically important topic for the future of Iowa and the future of the natural environment.
A new book, Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health, brings together public health and other experts to examine some of the most critical topics related to industrial farm animal production. To coincide with the release of this book, which includes a forward by Senator Tom Harkin (retired), we are hosting a conference that will highlight themes from the book and provide a forum for discussion of growing threats to public health that have been overlooked for too long.
This two-day conference will examine pertinent topics such as the history, structure, and trends in the industrial farm animal production industry; water and air pollution; infectious disease health effects; community and social impacts; environmental justice and sustainable agriculture; the consequences of COVID-19 among meatpacking workers; and several proposed methods for addressing these challenges.
To find out more about our exciting speaker lineup and the full conference schedule, please see the conference website and register for the event here. Multiple discounted ticket options are available and we don’t plan to turn away anyone because of cost, so if you’d like to inquire about reduced-price tickets, please email adam.shriver@drake.edu. You can also learn more about the full Iowa Environmental Education Week schedule here which is being hosted in conjunction with the Iowa Environmental Council.
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