U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance to Host Food Dialogues® at The USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum February 21

CHESTERFIELD, Mo., Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®) will focus on health and nutrition during the Food Dialogues: Washington, D.C. at the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum on February 21, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.

Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD, the author of "Slim Down South Cookbook" and a nutrition advisor to BestFoodFacts.org, will moderate the panel "Nutrition: Who is Shaping America's Eating Habits?"  Terms like organic, conventional, natural and locally grown are used to describe an increasing number of food products, whether in the grocery store aisles or restaurant menus. But do consumers have a solid grasp on what these words really mean and what role do they play when making healthy food choices?

"The Agricultural Outlook Forum brings the agriculture community together to address key issues and topics and USFRA is thrilled to be a part of the USDA's annual event," said Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Health and nutrition are paramount to what we do as food producers, so this is an extremely important discussion and the Outlook Forum is a great venue for it."

The Food Dialogues: Washington, D.C. will be the sixth in a series of national town hall-style forums that USFRA has hosted over the past two years. This signature series provides the organization with the vehicle to further the conversation on some of today's most important issues concerning food.

The panel will steam live online and is the first session at the Agricultural Outlook Forum to do so. To sign up to attend the event either in-person or watch the livestream, visit Food Dialogues: Washington, D.C.

For more information about USFRA or its signature Food Dialogues event series, visit www.FoodDialogues.com. Follow USFRA on Twitter @USFRA and use #FoodD to participate in the discussion.

About The Food Dialogues®
The Food Dialogues signature events are designed to bring together farmers, ranchers, industry experts, pundits, media and consumers for dynamic panel discussions on some of today's most pressing topics related to food and food production. Since its launch in 2011, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance has hosted more than 15 panels across the country.

About U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®)
USFRA is a group of farmer- and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners leading a movement to answer questions about how food is grown and raised. USFRA provides resources and tools to navigate today's food issues landscape with a broader goal of building trust in American agriculture. 

SOURCE U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA)