About our speaking events and public appearances

Together and separately, Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé speak at dozens of conferences, universities and to citizen organizations, community associations, and sustainable living festivals every year. The Lappés have participated in hundreds of events and guest lectured at dozens of universities, including Brown, Yale, Allegheny College, UC Berkeley, and the University of Colorado at Boulder to name just a few.

Special appearances have included:

· Food & Climate Summit at NYU (2009): Anna emceed the opening ceremonies with the Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer;

· Distinguished lecture series at the University of Oregon in Eugene (2009):  Frances spoke on “Clarity, Creativity and Courage to Create World We Want;”

· Brooklyn Food Conference (2009): Anna delivered the closing keynote for this 3,000+ community event focused on the borough’s emergent food justice activism;

· World Food Day (2005): Frances was the featured spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. Closed-circuit TV broadcast her interview to hundreds of universities and the public worldwide.

This spring, Anna is organizing a grassroots tour to highlight the connections between the food on our plate and climate change and Frances is hitting the road to share stories from Getting a Grip 2.

For information about booking Frances for an event, please call (617) 441-6300 x115 or email Brooke Ormond at .

For information about Diet for a Hot Planet and booking Anna, email Kate Ferranti at .

Listen, view and download our talks:

“Why Hunger in a World of Plenty?” Frances’ talk at Denison University’s opening convocation themed “Consumption,” September 2009.

“Living Democracy, Feeding Hope,” Frances’ talk at the 8th Annual Frank K. Kelly Lecture on Humanity’s Future sponsored by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, February 2009. Download the printed version which was published by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation or watch the video.

“Ending Hunger, Feeding Hope,” University of Alberta’s International Week, February 2009 (Frances). 

Public Forum on the Global Crisis: Food Fuel and Finance, February, 2009, New York University. As well as Frances, speakers include Martin Khor, Director of the South Institute, Geneva and Jun Borras, Fellow of the Transnational Institute, Amsterdam, and Editor of the Journal of Peasant Studies. The forum opens with an introduction on the global crisis by the chair of the session, Barry K. Gills.

“Liberation Ecology,” keynote address for the annual Provender Alliance Conference in Hood River, Oregon, October 2008 (Frances).

“Getting a Grip on Democracy,” Cambridge Forum, March 2008 (Frances).

“Getting a Grip on Hunger,” Worcester State College, November 2007 (Frances).


A few comments about Frances’ speaking events:

“Frances Moore Lappé was amazing, inspiring, informative and hopeful!”

“Frances Moore Lappé was so inspiring. She has a real grasp on the dire situation of the world and yet remains so hopeful. That is what I needed. There are so many doom and gloomers that are not effective because they make people feel they can’t do anything. Frances empowers us all to be the captain of our ships.”

“I appreciated the broad perspective Ms. Lappé took—she painted the big picture for us. Her thoughts on the fact that we need to change our perspectives/mind maps/worldviews was significant for me—it was something I took with me throughout the week—I was able to contrast the positions from which people were speaking and was totally surprised by how some people seem to be firmly set in outdated and destructive mind sets. I was inspired to do more thinking and to ensure that I am more clear about the frame of mind from which I want to view the world, live my life, and promote well-being for others.”

“Frances’ commencement speech was on target – she used the tree felled by the storm as a metaphor for the opportunity now to look at the “roots” of our system. Her personal anecdotes and a unique way of communicating the urgency and need for personal responsibility – her focus on possibilities - resonated with me personally, and I know everyone I spoke with after the event agreed with me that she was fantastic.”



A few comments about Anna’s speaking events:

Anna Lappe is a breath of fresh air in the food world. Her work links food production to the health of people, communities, and the planet. She is one of the few people focusing on the way food fits into the big picture of the world economy, climate change, and globalization. We need this kind of thinking.
- Marion Nestle, author Food Politics and Safe Food

Anna is an articulate, compelling and lucid speaker, and especially inspires young people to know that they, too, can make a difference.
- Nina Simons, Co-Producer, Bioneers Conference

I still hear from my students that Anna’s talk was the highlight of last fall. Her greatest skill is her capacity to build and restore hope.
- Joan Clingan, Professor, Prescott College

With her dynamic energy, insight, and personal commitment, Anna makes a powerful connection with a new generation of young people. She shows how to see current challenges with fresh eyes and make a positive difference.
- Diane Dreher, Professor, Santa Clara University

Anna uses a beautiful blend of facts and stories. I was impressed with her articulate grasp of the issues and her warm down-to-earth manner.Putting Justice on the Table Participant, Hinsdale, Illinois



Selected Lappé Speaking Events

University Lectures, Keynote Speeches, and Talks

Allegheny College, Pennsylvania, University Lecture

Boston University, Sponsored by the School of Public Health

Brown University, Providence, RI, Hunger and Homelessness Week

Chatham College, Rachel Carson Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs

Eckerd College, Florida, University Lecture

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mesa State College, Grand Junction

New York University, New York City

North Carolina State University

Northwestern University

Penn State University

Prescott College

Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts

University of Texas at Houston

University of Texas at San Marcos

Conferences

Baum Forum on Food and Farming

Bioneers Conference, San Rafael, CA

Eco-Farm Conference, Asilomar, California

Living Green Expo, Minneapolis Minnesota

Northeast Organic Farmers Annual Conference, Keynote Speech, Albany, New York

Ohio Ecological Farmers Association Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio

Oxfam International Student Fair Trade Conference, Washington DC

Rolling Thunder Chautauqua Tour, Community Presentation, Chicago, IL

Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Conference, Keynote, Cambridge, MA

World Hunger Year Annual Conference, New York City


International Conferences
International Book Festival, South Korea

International Federation of Organic Movements, Modena, Italy
4th Albert Howard Memorial Lecture, New Delhi, India
Schumacher College, Devon, UK

University of Alberta at Edmonton, Canada

University of British Columbia, Vancouver