The 2nd UK research conference on food and poverty: Evidence for change ConferenceAbout the conferenceTuesday, June 23, 2020 to Wednesday, June 24, 2020Bush House, King’s College London Following on from our inaugural research conference on UK food insecurity in 2018, we are hosting a second conference in June 2020. The conference theme is ‘Evidence for Change’, and the conference will focus on highlighting both the evidence base which demonstrates the need for change but also on how and what research evidence can be change-making. The aim of the conference is to build understanding on how household food insecurity research can make a difference to policy, practice, and lived experience. It will do this through showcasing research findings to a varied audience and exploring how to enhance the usability of evidence from the perspective of stakeholders including policy makers and practitioners. The objectives of the conference are: To provide a forum for the presentation of recent multidisciplinary research on food and poverty that is being conducted across the UK. To facilitate knowledge exchange and discussions of research practice between researchers and third sector organisations, policymakers and other research users. To provide a forum for discussion on key research priorities to inform policy and practice going forward. The conference will have at its heart the importance of excellent research, collaboration and building relationships with research stakeholders. Academic paper streams will feature as part of a varied programme of panel sessions, workshops and plenaries. Panel sessions will include voices from within central, devolved, and local government, and civil society organisations. There will also be workshops on conducting academic research in partnership with non-academic stakeholders and methods for doing so. The conference will also be an opportunity to showcase primary research from across the UK in numerous paper sessions throughout the conference. Our calls for papers and workshop proposals are now open. Please see above tabs to be taken to submission instructions and forms. Please make your submissions before 5pm on the 28th of February. Watch this space as more details on registration, accommodation, and the programme become available. Any questions, don’t hesitate to be in touch: connect@enuf.org.uk Speakers Opening keynote: Reflections on household food insecurity research from a U.S. perspective. Tuesday, 23rd June, 9.45-11.00 Working from the basis that having too little money underlies food insecurity in the UK, a question arises about the usefulness of conducting research focused on food insecurity rather than poverty more broadly. Aren’t we just talking about poverty? And yet, research from other countries highlights that experiences of not having enough food impact health, social interactions, and educational attainment over and above associations found for income-based poverty measures, suggesting measuring this specific manifestation of poverty is important. So too, using food insecurity outcomes to monitor the impacts of policy and practice interventions on food insecurity suggest it is sensitive to some, but not all, poverty-reduction policy interventions, which suggest that the designs of these interventions matter—who is targeted, how, and in what context? To open the conference, this year’s keynote speaker, Prof Colleen Heflin, will address these topics, drawing from over 15 years experience of applied policy research on food insecurity in the U.S. context. Keynote Speaker Professor Colleen M. Heflin Colleen M. Heflin is a Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs and a Senior Research Associate in the Center for Policy Research. Dr. Heflin conducts policy-relevant research that sits at the boundaries of sociology, economics, public health, public administration, and women’s studies. Dr. Heflin is regarded as a national expert on food insecurity, food assistance and welfare policy, and the well-being of vulnerable populations. Dr. Heflin’s research has helped document the causes and consequences of food insecurity, identify the barriers and consequences of participation in nutrition programs, and understand the changing role of the public safety net in the lives of low-income Americans. Dr. Heflin’s research has appeared in leading journals such as the American Sociological Review, Social Problems, the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and the Journal of Policy Analysis & Management. In 2014, her paper on community social capital was awarded the W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship from the American Sociological Association. Dr. Heflin’s research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among others. Dr. Heflin participated in the 2013 National Academies Workshop on Research Gaps and Opportunities in Child Hunger and Food Insecurity, and was an invited speaker at the 2014 Congressional Briefing on the War on Poverty that was hosted by the Population Association of America. Dr. Heflin holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan and an MPP from the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Plenary panel discussion: Perspectives on action on food insecurity and the role of evidence: what change is needed and how can we get there? Tuesday, 23rd June, 16.30-17.45 How can household food insecurity and food bank use be reduced in the UK? Drawing on the role of evidence in informing their answers to this question, four panellists from third-sector organisations will offer their responses and reflect on progress and action taken by their organisations, as well as challenges along the way. Panellists Emma Revie, Chief Executive, The Trussell Trust Emma Revie is the Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, a charity that supports a network of over 1,200 food bank centres to provide emergency food to people in crisis, offer additional support and campaign for change. Previously she was Chief Executive at youth charities Ambition and Landmark, and Head of Donor Services at international aid charity Tearfund. Emma joined the Trussell Trust in February 2018. Kartik Raj, Western European Researcher, Human Rights Watch Kartik Raj is Western Europe Researcher at Human Rights Watch. He is the author of the organization’s recent report on the U.K., ‘Nothing Left in the Cupboards: Austerity, Welfare Cuts and the Right to Food’ (May 2019). Prior to joining Human Rights Watch in 2017, he worked for several years at Amnesty International as a campaigner and researcher on the European Union team. Dan Crossley, Executive Director, Food Ethics Council Dan Crossley is Executive Director at Food Ethics Council, an independent think tank whose mission is to accelerate the shift towards fair food systems that respect people, animals and the planet. Dan has worked on food sustainability issues for 15 years, leading work on a range of issues, from our relationship with meat to tackling household food insecurity to power dynamics in the food system. Dan chaired the Sustainable Food Supply Chains Commission and was a WWF LiveWell Leader in Europe. Anna Taylor, Executive Director, Food Foundation Anna joined the Food Foundation as its first Executive Director at the beginning of June 2015 after five years at the Department for International Development. At DFID Anna led the policy team on nutrition and supported the delivery of the UK’s global commitments to tackle undernutrition. In 2014 she was awarded an OBE for her work to address the global burden of undernutrition. In May 2017 Anna became a member of the London Food Board to advise the Mayor of London and the GLA on the food matters that affect Londoners. She is a Board member for the Emergency Nutrition Network, the International Food Policy Research Institute based in Washington DC, Veg Power and Biteback 2030. She is currently serving as Chief Independent Adviser to Henry Dimbleby for the development of the National Food Strategy. Abstract submissionThe submission deadline of 28.2.20. has now passed. To meet our conference aims, we have invited academics, students, third-sector organisations and other applied or policy researchers conducting research on intersections of food and poverty in the UK to submit abstracts for consideration into the conference programme. Papers will be grouped according to how they fit with the following themes, though papers that fall outside these themes are also welcome to be submitted. Measuring and conceptualising the relationship between poverty and food experiences, including ‘food insecurity’ Lived experiences of food and poverty in the UK Determinants of household food insecurity and food bank usage in the UK Debates and dilemmas in the provision of charitable food assistance Public policy, welfare reform, and food insecurity Faith and food provision Evaluations of food insecurity interventions Health and nutritional impacts of food insecurity in the UK Social and emotional impacts of food insecurity in the UK Economic impacts of food insecurity in the UK UK food insecurity in comparative perspective The selection committee will meet in March and all corresponding authors will be notified of their decision by the 25th of March. Please note that all presenting authors will need to separately register and pay registration fees. Workshop submissionThe submission deadline of 28.2.20. has now passed. The selection committee will meet in March and all workshop leads will be notified of their decision by the 25th of March. Please note all workshop contributors will need to separately register and pay registration fees. InformationRegistration Registration for the conference is open from the 1st of February and will close on the 29th of May. Spaces are limited so do book soon. All bookings must be made through the King’s College London eStore. Please follow this link to register. Prices: Full 2-day Registration - £85; Student Full 2-day Registration - £42; Standard First Day only - Tuesday the 23rd of June - £45; Student First Day only - Tuesday the 23rd of June - £30; Standard Second Day only - Wednesday the 24th of June - £40; Student Second Day only - Wednesday the 24th of June - £25 Please note: the King’s College London eStore only accepts payments by debit or credit card. It is not possible to raise a purchase order/invoice. They accept all major debit and credit cards (Visa, Visa Debit, MasterCard, Visa Electron) with the exception of Maestro and American Express cards. Getting to Bush House: Bush House is part of the King’s College Strand Campus and is located in the Aldwych at 30, Aldwych, London WC2 4BG. Please find directions here. Accommodation: We have not reserved rooms for conference attendees at any particular hotel, and all attendees must arrange their own accommodation. There are number of reasonably priced hotels in the area. We suggest the Premier Inn in Blackfriars at 1-2 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN. Alternatively, as Bush House is close to many tube and train stations, you may want to consider a hotel further away to save on costs. Preliminary programme(Preliminary) programme-at-a-glance 23rd & 24th June 2020 | Bush House, King’s College London DAY ONE: Tuesday, 23 June 2020 8.45-9.30 Registration 9.30-9.40 Welcome 9.40-11.00 Opening keynote: Reflections on household food insecurity research from a U.S. perspective Speaker: Prof Colleen Heflin, Syracuse University, USA 11.00-11.15 Comfort break 11.15-12.30 Special session: Participatory action research Research paper and workshop sessions 12.30-1.30 Lunch 13.30-14.45 Special session: Forging collaborations between researchers and third sector organisations Research paper and workshop sessions 14.45-15.00 Comfort break 15.00-16.00 Research paper and workshop sessions 16.00-16.30 Tea/coffee 16.30-17.45 Panel discussion: Evidence-informed action to address food insecurity in the UK: third sector perspectives Panelists: Human Rights Watch, Food Ethics Council, The Trussell Trust, The Food Foundation 17.45-20:00 Drinks Reception DAY TWO: Wednesday, 24th June 2020 9.00-9.30 Registration 9.30-10.45 Special session: Food charity and food poverty across Europe Research paper and workshop sessions 10.45-11.00 Comfort break 11.00-12.00 Research paper and workshop sessions 12.00-13.00 Lunch 13.00-14.30 Special session: Tools and methods for evaluating the work of local food poverty alliances Research paper and workshop sessions 14.30-15.00 Tea/coffee 15.00-16.30 Discussion Panel: Views on food insecurity from across UK and devolved governments 16.30-17.00 Conference wrap-up and closing reflections
