Body and Mind Panel: Making the Food Supply Chain Safe for Working People

Join the Justice for Migrant Women team for a meaningful conversation about preventing and addressing sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, and discussing mental health. We will invite culinary leaders and advocates to contribute to the discussion and to lead us to tangible solutions. Panel speakers will include:

Mónica Ramírez - Founder and President of Justice for Migrant Women, 2022 James Beard Leadership Award honoree

Lynnette Marrerro - Co-creator of Speed Rack International, Bartending guru, author, educator, advocate, mentor, philanthropist, craft cocktail savant, and 2025 James Beard Media Award nominee

Info: Actresses in Hollywood awakened a public consciousness about the widespread problem of sexual harassment, including sexual violence, in their industry, which helped make way for the public reckoning made possible through the metoo Movement and Times Up. The result of these breakthroughs was an understanding that sexual harassment is pervasive across industries, including in restaurants and bars. Leaders across the food supply chain, including the James Beard Foundation, restaurant owners, food-related non-profits, and other leaders, moved to action to address this issue and to provide support to the victims, as well as preventative training and information to remedy the problem. This session will focus on the scope of the problem and the steps that have been taken to address the issue within the food industry, specifically in restaurants and bars.

Info: An article published by US Foods shared that “[a]ccording to a 2021 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 60% of servers at upscale

restaurants have at least one mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety,

and a 2023 survey by Cozymeal found that 70% of chefs who responded said they

had experienced anxiety from working in restaurants. Substance abuse and

sleeping disorders also remain high.” Similar problems, stressors, and mental

health issues have been identified among farmers, farmworkers, and other people

employed in the food supply chain. This session will provide insight into the

problem and some of the steps that are being taken to address it.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Chicago, Arts events in Chicago.