Today JBF is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards. Now in its fifth year, the JBF Leadership Awards, co-hosted by Good Housekeeping and with founding support from the GRACE Communications Foundation, recognize specific outstanding initiatives as well as bodies of work and lifetime achievement. Criteria used to select this year’s honorees include excellence of work, innovation in approach, and scale of impact either within a community or across the nation.
The 2015 Leadership Award recipients will be honored on October 19 at a dinner ceremony co-hosted by Good Housekeeping and emceed by Andrea Reusing, chef and owner of Lantern Restaurant. Dinner will be prepared by JBF Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change alumni Duskie Estes and pastry chef Erika Davis with hors d’oeuvre prepared by the Natural Gourmet Institute. The awards presentation will be part of the James Beard Foundation’s sixth annual Food Conference, The Future of Food: How Science and Technology Can Create a Healthier Plate, taking place on October 19 and 20 in New York City. For event information or to purchase tickets, please contact Bowen & Company at 914.231.6180 or jamesbeard@bowenandco.com. Details can also be found at jbfleadershipawards.org.
The 2015 Leadership Award recipients are:
Don Bustos
Farmer and Co-Director, American Friends Service Committee
For his work in support of farmers’ rights and education, and efforts to include farmers of color in the national food movement.
Eliot Coleman
Farmer, Author, Agricultural Researcher, and Educator
For the impact his more than 40 years of innovative farming techniques and extensive writings on the subject of organic agriculture have had on the field, and on our country’s food system.
Saru Jayaraman
Co-Founder and Co-Director, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United); Director, Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley
For her research, policy work, and efforts to create just workplace environments for all restaurant employees.
Sam Kass
Former Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition, The White House
For his work toward nationwide food-policy initiatives that focus on sustainable and nutritious ingredients, and efforts to raise awareness of childhood obesity, hunger, and nutrition issues.
Bryant Terry
Chef, Author, Food Justice Activist
For his efforts to raise awareness of food-justice issues and to empower youth to be active in creating a healthy, just, and sustainable food system.
