Serving the Public: The good food revolution in schools, hospitals and prisons
Celebrating the launch of Dr. Kevin Morgan's recent book
Dr. Kevin Morgan is an advisor to the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies. Kevin is a Professor of Governance and Development in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University. His internationally renowned, inspiring research in the field of food studies focuses primarily on food sustainability, public procurement, and territorial politics. He led the EU's Smart Specialisation project and held various advisory roles, including with the UN-sponsored School Meals Coalition and the European Commission's S4 Scientific Committee.
Serving the Public: the good food revolution in schools, hospitals and prisons coalesces over 20 years of Kevin's research into an accessible and impactful book for a general audience. Drawing on case studies from the UK, Sweden, and the United States, the book emphasizes how public institutions could use their purchasing power to promote public health, social equity, and environmental sustainability for all. It also interrogates the existing food policies and the structural inequalities rooted in neoliberalism.
Book Panel Discussion Recording
On February 6, 2025 the UNESCO Chair on FBSS hosted a book panel discussion with featured panelists Moe Garahan, Joshna Maharaj and Debbie Field. This conversation highlighted the need for an integrated, values-based approach to public procurement that aligns with policies supporting sustainable food production and consumption. They emphasized the significance of the "public plate" in shaping societal values and the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders, from farmers to students, to create coherent and responsive food systems. This inspriring discussion underscored the transformative potential of public food provisioning systems to address the interconnected challenges facing the food system, and the critical role of grassroots movements, civil society organizations, and government policies in realizing this vision.
The recording is available on Youtube so it can be used for teaching and research. We encourage educators to include this in curriculum and have also included a transcript.
Interview with Elodie Valette and Kevin Morgan
Elodie Valette is an advisor to the UNESCO Chair and FLOW Partnership and is a researcher with Cirad, the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization. She is also the Project and Scientific Coordinator of Urbal: Urban-Driven Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems, an international project on mapping the impacts of sustainability initiatives in food systems.
Elodie interviewed Kevin in Janaury 2025 to dig deeper into Kevin's perspectives on writing the book and his choices of language and examples included.
Read the full interview: Elodie Valette interviews Kevin Morgan.