[From UVa News Services]:

The creation of a statewide policy group to coordinate efforts at ensuring that Virginia's food supply remains secure well into the 21st century is the major recommendation in a new report generated by a group of concerned citizens and professionals, among them faculty from the University of Virginia.

The report outlines a vision for food security in Virginia and addresses issues of farming, health and childhood obesity, as well as the state's economy. As a first step toward implementing the report's findings and recommendations, it has been shared with Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine and his cabinet.

The report grew out of a Food Security Summit, which attracted 146 participants from all regions of Virginia who came together in May to discuss various issues surrounding food security. The event was a partnership initiative of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning and Institute for Environmental Negotiation, both in the University of Virginia's School of Architecture, and the Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. [for complete article, see UVa News Services]