Lecture addresses sustainability, food security and spirituality

Sixteen percent of Ohio households are said to be food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Only five states in the nation rank below Ohio in that regard.

Brian Snyder, executive director of the Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT) at Ohio State University, will address the issue in a lecture, “Agricultural Sustainability, Food Security and Spirituality – a Necessary Alignment,” at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. April 5 in the Alford Centrum on the MTSO campus, 3081 Columbus Pike in Delaware. It is free and open to the public.

Though Ohio is a major agricultural state, the agricultural community is beset with concerns about economic viability, environmental degradation and climate instability. At a time of year focused on celebrating renewal, Snyder will examine how we can preserve the land and feed people at the same time, and what any of this has to do with spiritual endeavors.

Before coming to Ohio State in June 2016, Snyder was executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. Previous to that work, he served as executive director of Gould Farm, a community-based residential mental health treatment program operating on a 700-acre working farm in Massachusetts.

Snyder holds two master’s degrees, one in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School and one in business administration from UMass Amherst. He maintains a personal blog, writetofarm.com.

This lecture is offered by the Theological Commons at MTSO, which promotes the sharing of knowledge and experience between students, faculty, clergy and the public for the benefit of all participants and those they serve.

Methodist Theological School in Ohio provides theological education and leadership in pursuit of a just and sustainable world. In addition to the Master of Divinity degree, the school offers master’s degrees in counseling, theological studies and practical theology, along with a Doctor of Ministry degree.

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CONTACT: 

Danny Russell, communications director
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322