Search

The purpose of this study was to determine the multiple meanings of community food security among stakeholders with diverse interests and to assess the degree to which these stakeholders could find common ground around community food security during a participatory planning process called a search conference. The conceptual framework of citizen politics guided all aspects of the research design. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 44 participants purposefully recruited to attend a 2 1/2-day search conference. Open-ended questionnaires were distributed to all participants during the search conference, and a document review was performed. Prior to the search conference, 4 community food security groups emerged: anti-hunger advocates (n=12), agricultural visionaries (n=12), food traditionalists (n=10), and agricultural entrepreneurs (n=8). Participants were able to find common ground around 6 community food security action agendas: distribution of surplus food, education, family and community values, food processing and marketing, legislative initiatives and action, and new agriculture. Other salient community food security issues emerged, but they were not included on any of the action agendas. Formal training in facilitation, negotiation, conflict resolution, and how to influence the public policy-making process will enable dietetics professionals to effectively collaborate with community-based groups that have a stake in food security issues. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:962-967. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the call for proposals for panels or sessions in the joint annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society, the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society and the International Food Choice Conference, which will be held on June 6-9, 1996, in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Reports that the 19th Annual Conference of the American European Dietetic Association will be held from March 21 to 23, 1996 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Announces the American European Dietetic Association's conference from March 30 to April 1, 1995. Leiden, The Netherlands as site; Contact information.

Announces the seventeenth Annual Conference of the American European Dietetic Association in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany on March 10 to 12, 1994. English as the official language; Contact information.

Announces the 16th Annual conference of the American European Dietetic Association on March 25 to 27, 1993 in London, England.