Hear Experts Dish about Local Foods at the New York Academy of Sciences

NEW YORK, April 17, 2011—Where our food comes from can have wide-ranging ecological and economic ramifications and eating local offers important benefits-such is the crux of the locavore movement. Learn about local foods (by listening, participating, and tasting) at the New York Academy of Sciences' event series, The Locavore's Dilemma, presented by Science & the City and the Academy's Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science.

The series kicks off on April 26 with Can Oysters Save New York Harbor?, presented in partnership with The Harbor School and Pace University. The panel event, moderated by award-winning science journalist Andrew Revkin, will examine efforts to restore oysters to New York Habor—previously a bustling and productive estuary—followed by a tasting of local oysters.

"There's plenty of evidence that work with species we enjoy in more than one way-oysters being a prime example-can help keep the harbor moving in the right direction. I look forward to exploring how oysters are playing a role in reviving our waters," says Revkin.

Keep your taste buds, and your brain, excited about local foods by joining the Academy on June 5 for The Science Behind the Hype: Resveratrol in Wine & Chocolate to learn about this chemical component present in two delicious indulgences with the University of Pennsylvania's Joseph Baur, PhD, and Nick Venditti of New York City's Frankly Wines shop. Dark chocolates from Brooklyn's own NuNu Chocoaltes, as well as local red wine from New York will be served.

While many of us love knowing where our food comes from, does science back up the idea that local food is more nutritious? Can it improve our environment? Does the food taste better? For answers, join the Academy on June 26 for a panel discussion on The Science of Local Foods at the South Street Seaport Museum, moderated by New Amsterdam Market's Founder and President, Robert LaValva. The panel will also include a prominent chef, a local farmer, and a specialist on the impact of local foods on economics and sustainability. A tasting of local foods will follow.

For more information and to register, visit www.nyas.org/locavore. Media must RSVP to Diana Friedman (dfriedman@nyas.org; 212.298.8645).

About the New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.