The Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition produced a special journal issue highlighting papers and discussions from the April 2009 conference, “Food Systems and Public Health: Linkages to Achieve Healthier Diets and Healthier Communities.” The conference convened more than 100 leading researchers and practitioners nationwide from the health, nutrition, obesity and health policy arenas, as well as those from the sustainable agriculture, economics and agriculture policy sectors. The objectives of the conference were to convene a multidisciplinary team of experts interested in food systems and public health, identify research opportunities and foster interdisciplinary research collaborations.

The special journal issue, which also includes policy-relevant research and action recommendations from the conference, was co-edited by Mary Story, PhD, RD, director of Healthy Eating Research; Michael Hamm, PhD, Michigan State University; and David Wallinga, MD, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.