Over the past two decades, Delmarva agriculture has shifted from traditional, diversified family farming to a more industrialized system of raising animals. Large, powerful companies dictate how animals are raised, processed, and sold and bear no responsibility for the public health impacts and environmental degradation in our local communities. The disastrous consequences have been highlighted, and in some cases exacerbated, by the current COVID-19 crisis. During a May 26, 2020, virtual town hall, regional experts and local community members shared the latest science, regulatory and policy actions, community perspectives, and possible solutions. The town hall was presented free with support from the Town Creek Foundation.
Presenters included:
- Kathy Phillips, Assateague Coastal Trust
- Abel Russ, Senior Attorney, Environmental Integrity Project
- Robert Martin, Program Director, Center for a Livable Future
- Darya Minovi, Policy Analyst, Center for Progressive Reform
- David Reed, Co-Executive Director, Chesapeake Legal Alliance
- Lily Hawkins, Maryland Organizer, Food and Water Watch
- Leila Borrero Krouse, Maryland Organizer, CATA Farmworkers
- Mary Ashanti, President, Wicomico County Chapter NAACP
- Monica Brooks, Co-Founder of Concerned Citizens Against Industrial CAFOs and Board member, Socially Responsible Agricultural Project
Watch the Town Hall, below:
