Convocation: Helene York (Audio)

Helene York is a food activist who has managed product sourcing for a large restaurant company, an advocate for humane meat production systems who happens to be vegetarian, a teacher, and a writer who has thought a lot about what Americans eat. Conscientious consumers who want to "chew the right thing" can head for their local farmers market. But what about a corporation that serves 135 million meals a year in 32 states? From 1999, when Bon Appétit Management Company launched its Farm to Fork program, to February 2012, when it announced it was entirely phasing out pork from pigs confined in gestation crates and eggs from hens in battery cages, Bon Appétit has pioneered socially and environmentally responsible practices. The company's first director of purchasing strategy, and the architect of many advances for which the company is known, York will talk about the complexities and ethical challenges of how Carleton's food service provider influences our food system and works to make more sustainable food available for everyone. The title of her presentation is "Supporting Consumer Activism: The Role of Corporate Change Making to Affect a Sustainable Food System."