The Nexus of Food and Health

Center for a Livable Future

“The food system is run by people who know nothing about health, and the health system is run by people who know nothing about food.” The words of farmer/philosopher Wendell Berry crystallize the challenge faced by the Center for a Livable Future (CLF). Since 1996, founder and director Robert Lawrence and his team have sought to knock down the conceptual walls that separate food and health. From testifying on industrial animal farming before Congress to documenting rising obesity in China, the Center effectively combines science, advocacy and activism. Philanthropic support has made possible many of the Center’s accomplishments including: pioneering research that  is shaping national policies on antibiotics in animal feed; studies on the environmental effects of unregulated toxic chemicals in consumer products; and projects to improve food choices for Baltimore’s inner-city residents. The Center’s future priorities include the effects of greenhouse gases on food systems and the impact of meat-heavy diets on global climate change. “We seem to be tapping a concern that a lot of people have about food security, food safety, food quality and the negative facets of the food industry,” Lawrence says.