Mosaic's Hunger-Relief Forum Features Commissioner Adam Putnam Revealing "Florida's Roadmap To Living Healthy"

Policymakers and Nutrition Experts Address Florida's Critical Food Access and Nutrition Challenges

News provided by

Sep 04, 2014, 12:00 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) today hosted its second annual Florida Hunger-Relief Forum in Bradenton at Renaissance on 9^th, bringing together local, state and national policymakers and nutrition experts to help drive advocacy and action on hunger and nutrition issues.

Keynote speaker Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Adam Putnam, announced the "Florida's Roadmap to Living Healthy" program, the first statewide map that correlates lack of access to nutritious food with poor health indicators in an advanced web-based GIS tool.

"The possibilities of this roadmap are unlimited," said Commissioner Putnam. "It will help state agencies like mine make better-informed decisions about how we use our limited resources to support Florida communities at greatest risk. This tool will also assist nonprofits, food banks and other organizations to identify gaps in resources, determine the most effective approaches and yield a greater impact on the residents of Florida."

Mosaic speaker Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Mark Kaplan, added, "With 700,000 people in Central Florida struggling with hunger and 250,000 of those children, it's important to elevate the issue today on Hunger Action Day and continue raising awareness every day from this day forward. We are pleased to have invited key leaders to the table to share their expertise and work together to find solutions to local and global hunger."

Additional keynote speakers included Mari Gallagher, an independent food researcher and author of the 2006 breakthrough study Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago. Gallagher addressed the concerning implications of Florida's "Food Deserts," a growing number of rural and urban areas without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

"Of great concern in Florida is that Food Desert issues exist in both urban and rural areas," said Gallagher. "It is great to see state and local leaders come together to address the challenges that residents in poor access areas face and work together to find solutions utilizing the new statewide web-based map tool."

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Joel Gittelsohn, PhD, medical anthropologist and one of the country's leading researchers implementing and evaluating community-based health and nutrition intervention programs, also spoke to the forum about environmental interventions to improve food access.

"We know that improving access to healthier food options can help to prevent obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases," said Gittelsohn. "I appreciate the work of my colleagues at All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine to help families, schools and community organizations make positive choices and changes that address childhood obesity and improve health."

While keynote speakers addressed broader topics of food access and nutrition, a discussion panel addressed local trends and the role of state and local food policy in combating hunger. Expert panelists included Matt Knott, Feeding America; Anne Palmer, Program Director, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Bloomberg School of Public Health; Dr. Diana Greene, Manatee County Public Schools; Hank Scott, Long & Scott Farms; and Brian West, Publix Super Markets.

"Today's event was a platform for collaboration and it was remarkable to experience the connections being made among community thought leaders that are able to make a difference," added Matt Knott, President of Feeding America.

The program's afternoon session featured an interactive community group discussion led by Robin Safley, Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness Director with Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The discussion focused on food access as an economic development tool, addressing the need for community partnerships to develop entrepreneurship, redevelopment, and agricultural growth. It also focused on strengthening and expanding community food systems through effective statewide collaboration.

About The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation

The Mosaic Company is the world's leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two essential crop nutrients. Driven by its mission to help the world grow the food it needs, Mosaic is committed to strengthening global food security and protecting critical water resources.

The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation make investments in and partner with best-of-class leaders in the focus areas of food, water and local community investments. More information about Mosaic is available at www.mosaicco.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060331/MOSAICLOGO

SOURCE The Mosaic Company