Save the date for the next Consumer Issues Conference: Food Safety, Security and Sources on September 24^th and 25^th. As usual there will be several keynote presentations by nationally known speakers, breakout sessions by experts on issue topics, poster presentations (deadline June 22, 2009), exhibits, and tours.

Planned sessions include

• Local Foods: Safety, Freedom, and Other Values in Conflict (invited panelists represent epidemiology, food production, food science, policy making, regulation, and retail)
• Community Supported Agriculture Efforts
• Labeling & Safety
• Food or Fuel? An Analysis of Systems in Conflict
• Sustainable Practices in Modern Life
• Food Fight: Balancing Nutrition and Health Choices
• A screening of the movie King Corn, and conversation with movie producer Curt Ellis

This year we are excited to offer a new format. On both days of the conference we will offer plenary and concurrent sessions in the morning, and tours of food-related destinations in the afternoon. The movie King Corn, with discussion by documentary filmmaker Curt Ellis, will be Thursday evening.

Project Objectives

The Consumer Issues Conference addresses consumer problems or issues. We define these as threats of fraud or misinformation, unfair advantage relative to consumers, or problems that cause some harm or risk to consumers. As a planning group our objectives are to

• Develop an understanding of consumer issues and awareness of resources available to prevent and address them,
• Empower consumers to address specific consumer concerns through education, collaboration, and participation in the public policy process,
• Create opportunities for networking that can lead to collaboration among interested parties with different perspectives on consumer issues,
• Improve consumer wellbeing through changes in personal actions and state and local government policy, (e.g. legislation introduced and/or passed, regulation, and funding), and
• Empower students to create well-researched position papers and presentations on a specific consumer issue to relevant experts and policymakers, including legislators.

Featured Speakers

Donna Byrne, a food law expert from the William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN, will present an opening plenary session in which she will address the reasons why food has become a topic of concern for consumers, producers, regulators, nutritionists, and lawyers. She plans to give an overview of these nationally important issues and trends (including the push for the Food and Drug Administration to be divided into two agencies). In addition she will present in a breakout concurrent session on labeling and safety. She has a forthcoming article in the Pierce Law Journal on voluntary labeling which she will discuss.


Sandra Eskin, Deputy Director for Policy and Research at the Produce Safety Project (PSP) at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute, will present a lunchtime plenary presentation (Thursday) which will address a range of science and legal issues related to food safety. This session is open and free to the public. Non-registrants are invited to bring their own lunch. In addition she will present a breakout concurrent session on food safety issues.

 
Call for Posters

Have you been involved with a project or research related to the conference themes? Submit an abstract by Monday, 22 June 2009. Information is on the submission guidelines sheet.

Call for Exhibitors

Exhibitors are welcome to reserve a table at the conference to display information of use to participants. To request exhibit space, complete the "Call for Conference Exhibitors" form by 19 September).

Flyer

Want to help advertise the conference? Here is a flyer to help. If you’d like more tools, please contact us!

Registration

Registration will open this summer. Registration fees for the Consumer Issues Conference are kept low so that cost is not barrier to attendance. The early registration deadline will be in September 10. Registration includes snacks and lunch.

General
Early registration: $60
Late registration: $75

Seniors
Early registration: $45
Late registration: $60

Day 1 only: $45 early, $60 late. Thursday, September 24 (includes conference and tour of SE Wyoming, NE Colorado food stops, no senior discount)
Day 2 only: $35 early, $50 late. Friday, September 25 (includes conference and tour of local food stops, no senior discount)

Day 1 tour only: $25 early, $35 late
Day 2 tour only: $15 early, $25 late

All activities are free for students (please register to help us estimate the numbers of participants)

The Planning Committee

Dee Pridgen, College of Law
University of Wyoming, Associate Dean and Carl M. Williams Professor of Law and Social Responsibility, CoChair
Virginia Vincenti, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
University of Wyoming, Professor, CoChair
N. Denise Burke, College of Law
University of Wyoming, Assistant Dean
Cole Ehmke, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wyoming, Extension Specialist in Personal Finance and Agricultural Entrepreneurship
Elizabeth Goudey, Esq., Students' Attorney Office
University of Wyoming, ASUW Students' Attorney
Carol Makela, Consumer and Family Studies
Colorado State University, Professor
Suzanne Pelican, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Food & Nutrition Specialist and WIN Wyoming Coordinator
Terri Rittenburg, College of Business
University of Wyoming, Associate Professor of Department of Management and Marketing

If you or your organization would like to support this project as it raises awareness, and empowers and connects consumers to address public policy issues, then contact Dee Pridgen or Virginia Vincenti. The Consumer Issues Conference is a highly-rated event that has a history of creating impact. Participants mainly come from across Wyoming as well as Colorado and Nebraska.

Past Conference Websites

Focus on Energy and Telecommunications (2008)
Money Matters (2007)
Home on the Range (2006)
Consumer Activism: Health Issues (2005)