Students in UPEI’s Department of Applied Human Sciences are hosting a panel discussion about food insecurity on Prince Edward Island. “A healthy ‘food Island’ for all? Food insecurity and healthy public policy: a call to action” will be held 7:00 pm, March 13 in the Wanda Wyatt Lecture Theatre in UPEI’s K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre. All are welcome. The panel will discuss the current state of food insecurity in PEI, its impact on one’s health and well-being, what current actions the government is taking  to address food insecurity, and future actions needed to address this growing problem. The panel includes: Dr. Valerie Tarasuk, Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto is the keynote speaker. Dr. Tarasuk is an acclaimed international researcher in food insecurity and is the lead researcher for PROOF, which has been providing reports on provincial and national data on food insecurity for the past several years. She will will review the current state of food insecurity in PEI and, drawing on evidence of what has worked in other jurisdictions, identify some potential policy options to address food insecurity here.  Dr. David Sabapathy, Deputy Chief Health Officer, Department of Health & Wellness, Government of PEI. Dr. Sabapathy will review current health status of Islanders compared to the rest of Canada, and the role that the social determinants of health play in Islander’s health. Jennifer Burgess, Department of Family and Human Services. Burgess will discuss initiatives that government has taken to reduce poverty and  food insecurity in PEI, and proposed future actions. Dr. Colleen Walton, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Walton will discuss her current food costing research in PEI and the need for ongoing monitoring as  part of the strategy to improve food security. The panel is organized by a group of UPEI senior Foods and Nutrition students, under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Taylor. The event is supported by the Saint Dunstan’s University Institute for Christianity and Culture. For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Taylor, jtaylor@upei.ca, or 902-566-0475.