Dr. Tom Kelly presenting A New England Food Vision
On Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 PM, at the Cook Memorial Library. Dr. Tom Kelly will present A New England Food Vision at the Cook Memorial Library. Dr. Kelly is executive director of the UNH Sustainability Institute, which he founded in 1997, and the Chief Sustainability Officer of the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Incorporating more than three years of collaborative research and input from hundreds of voices from throughout New England, A New England Food Vision calls for our region to reach a bold goal of 50 by 60 — building the capacity to produce at least 50% of our food by 2060 while supporting healthy food for all, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. A New England Food Vision imagines a new future that is possible if society were to commit to supporting a sustainable food production in New England.
A New England Food Vision is one facet of UNH’s food system leadership. It is a grounding force in the work of Food Solutions New England (FSNE). FSNE is a regional, collaborative network organized to support the emergence and continued viability of a New England food system that is a resilient driver of healthy food for all, racial equity, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. FSNE is supported by the UNH Sustainability Institute (UNHSI). UNHSI acts as a catalyst, convener, and champion of sustainability ideas and actions across and beyond the University of New Hampshire. The institute fosters a culture of sustainability that permeates the civic, professional, and personal lives of members of the UNH community.
Throughout his three decades of national and international work in higher education, Dr. Kelly has focused on sustainability as a transformative cultural force, and the creative process of engaging its disruptive and inspirational dynamics in education, research, and practice. He co-edited and authored "The Sustainable Learning Community: One University's Journey to the Future" (2009) a book written by more than sixty UNH faculty and staff engaged in collaborative sustainability efforts on and beyond the campus that have established UNH as one of the most innovative sustainability institutions in higher education.
Dr. Kelly’s current activities include a focus on the practice of facilitative and network leadership in developing transdisciplinary approaches to sustainability challenges. He is a founding convener of Food Solutions New England, a six-state, network working to realize a shared vision for a sustainable, regional food system.
He is a co-author of A New England Food Vision, as well as the 2017 article “Equity as Common Cause: How a Sustainable Food System Network is Cultivating a Commitment to Racial Justice.” The article is published in the journal Othering and Belonging. He is also a collaborative designer and facilitator of the Food Solutions New England Network Leadership Institute and a founding convener of the New Hampshire Food Alliance.
This event is brought to you by the Cook Memorial Library and the Tamworth Community Nurse Association. If you have any questions, please call the Cook Memorial Library at (603) 323-8510.