Chefs Are Asked 'What Is The Most Important Thing We Can All Do To Help Change The Food System?'

The first-ever Food Tank Summit in Washington D.C. will take place January 21 and 22. Today, Food Tank kicked off the 48 hours of food and agriculture discussions with a question posed to each of the summit speakers: "In 140 characters or less — what is the most important thing we can all do to help change the food system?" The chefs, authors, government officials, and students who comprised the group then tweeted their responses, which ranged from variations on "you are what you eat," to pleas to support family farming.

Food Tank is encouraging everyone to tweet their responses @FoodTank. How would you change your food consumption habits to change the world? Here are just a few examples:

Chef José Andrés likened buying groceries to placing your vote in the ballot box: "To eat today is a political statement. We vote with the food we choose to eat, and this is a power we need to use wisely and efficiently."

Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland, gave this advice about eating: "Connect with your food. Becoming a more educated eater tends to convert us into food activists (and make it much harder to waste food)."  

A student at George Washington University, which partnered with Food Tank to put on this summit, simply said, "Walk the talk. If the story behind your food scares you, find something else to eat."

Dennis Dimick from National Geographic echoed a sentiment about food waste that The Daily Meal has covered extensively: "The first thing each of us can do to help change the food system: Stop wasting food."

And Chandler Goule from the National Farmers' Union gave a practical approach for consumers: "Buy local when possible, learn where your food comes from (Country-of-Origin Labeling), and support farm bills."