Source: John Pascarella, 913-307-7313, jbpascar@k-state.edu
Monday, Oct. 3, 2011
Take a swipe at hunger: K-State Olathe having food packaging, food drive event
OLATHE -- The Kansas State University Olathe community will have a chance to swipe out hunger by participating in on-campus events from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.
K-State Olathe is partnering with Numana Inc. for World Hunger Month in October by hosting a SWIPE Out Hunger event Oct. 23. SWIPE, or State-Wide Packaging Events, are partnerships between Numana and college campuses across the state for students, faculty and communities to assist in providing food to those who desperately need it.
The SWIPE Out Hunger event at K-State Olathe will feature a food packaging and food drive event available to teams from the six Johnson County school districts. Volunteers will package nonperishable meals that will be distributed to the Horn of Africa region. In addition to packing foods for international distribution, each high school team is encouraged to lead a food drive at their school with all items donated given to Harvesters Food Bank.
HyVee is also partnering with K-State Olathe for the event, providing T-shirts and volunteers to help package the meals.
A free public lecture will also take place between 1-1:40 p.m. "Food Security in an Age of Instability" will be presented by Timothy Dalton, associate professor of agricultural economics at K-State. Dalton researches and teaches international agricultural development in low-income countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. He studies the impact of new crop varieties on food production and the environmental constraints to increasing agricultural productivity.
Dalton has conducted research in 18 African countries as well as in the Middle East, Vietnam, Thailand and Central America. His research has been supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, private organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and several industry groups. He has worked for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and was recently appointed to the Council on Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics' Blue Ribbon Panel on Development to interface with Washington lawmakers.
The public is invited to the lecture to learn about food security and causes and solutions to local and world hunger.
The mission of Kansas State University Olathe is to advance K-State by integrating education, research and entrepreneurship focused on animal health, food safety and security to address the needs of a rapidly changing world.
Kansas State University Olathe is east of Kansas Highway 7 on College Boulevard at 22201 W. Innovation Drive, Olathe. If using mapping software or GPS, please use 22201 College Blvd. as the street address.
