A panel of community advocates will come together for the second P.R.E.P Talk at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 in the University of Kentucky’s Seay Auditorium. P.R.E.P. stands for Prevent, Reduce and Eliminate Poverty.

The Lexington Community Action Council, the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Department of Community and Leadership Development and its Community Innovation Lab are cosponsoring the panel discussion. Local food activists and representatives from agricultural production and consumer organizations will share their ideas about food security and justice. Lexington’s local food coordinator, Ashton Potter Wright, will moderate. Community members, UK faculty and students are welcome to attend and join in the discussion at the free event.

With a panel composed of the key players and stakeholders in the battle for food justice, Bryan Hains, UK associate professor in community and agriculture education, anticipates that the discussion will lead to a “wonderful conversation” between agricultural producers, consumers, UK faculty and students.

“The primary audience is millennials, basically our students. We want them to start thinking about how they use what they’re learning at the university to make a change within their local communities,” he said. “It’s not only Lexington that has these problems, but nationwide, we see food justice issues too.”

Food justice is an overall term that encompasses the challenges people face in having access to healthy, reasonably priced food in some areas—known as food deserts—where grocery stores aren’t as prolific and transportation isn’t easily available.

“It’s a massive social issue,” Hains said. “It leads to all kinds of health issues, obesity, access issues.”

P.R.E.P. Talks are presented by Columbia Gas of Kentucky. Seay Auditorium is in the Agricultural Sciences Building, 1100 South Limestone.