If there is anything that gets people talking, it’s bringing up opinions on personal topics. And increasingly, strong opinions emerge on how we produce and consume our food. Food is one of the most personal things in life. Food is a centerpiece of culture, a predictor of health and can even be an expression of art.
Land O’Lakes is leaning into the food conversation and encouraging dialogue about the impacts of the food choices we all make.

The Food Effect at SXSW in 2018 challenged perceptions of food 

Last year, we sparked this conversation with The Food Effect at a conference in Austin, Texas -- South by Southwest. And it worked.
We stirred conversation. We challenged perceptions. We inspired more people to help figure out what the future of food could look like.
Feeding. Human. Progress. Apart these three words have individual meaning, but together they’re even more powerful. They form our purpose at Land O’Lakes. We’re advancing humanity at every point of the farmer-to-fork supply chain. This unique responsibility mandates that we lead the conversation on how food keeps our growing population -- and our land, water and air -- healthy.
That’s why we’re returning to South by Southwest (SXSW) this year with The Copernicus Project. The attendees at SXSW use knowledge as social currency; thrive on a sense of discovery; and for them, food is personal and a reflection of their beliefs. We’re taking a page from the book of the man who posited the Earth was not the center of the universe and letting everyone know that humans have been knocked from top of the food chain.

The Copernicus Project is an immersive, three-day activation that explores the relationship between our health, technology, food production and food security. Visitors will deconstruct food myths and unravel what humanity’s diet may look like in the future. They can slide into a giant avocado to learn about nanotechnology, enter an artistic representation of a food web and more. 
And just like last year’s The Food Effect, multiple perspectives will get equal voice to discuss and problem-solve some of our most pressing food issues. Policymakers, scientists, agronomists and consumers will come together to ask ourselves what’s happening and what’s next for humanity, our planet and our food.
The truth, at its core, is simple: We all eat. But how and what we eat -- and the values we prioritize in our communities -- differ vastly from person to person and from culture to culture. These differences mean that when we talk about food and agriculture, it can get tense. But that tension means that what we’re saying is even more important to explore.
So join us in Austin March 8-10, 2019. Or follow #copernicusproject and join with us @landolakesinc. Come find your own inner-Copernicus. Come challenge your beliefs about food. We hope to see you there.
Tim Scott is the CMO of Land O'Lakes, Inc.