Photos by Max Blodgett

Kicking off the ”Future of Food” conference in Gaston Hall on Wednesday, Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, expressed his disappointment with the Washington Post-sponsored event.

“I wish more food industries were on the panel,” he said. “We want a dialogue, want to find areas of common ground, and, even if you don’t agree with us, you’ll find we serve a good lunch!”

Though Schlosser noticed the conspicuous absence of leading agro-business figures, attendees expressed far more excitement over the sustainability super-stars that were in attendence—most notably, His Royal Highness Prince Charles.

A pioneer in food sustainability, the Prince of Wales delved into the complex challenges facing public health, rural employment, environmental protection, and international food insecurity.

While the audience delighted in Prince Charles’ quip about “making embarrassing speeches about my eldest son during wedding receptions,” he gave the conference an air of seriousness, delivering a sober speech about the perils of continuing our dangerously unstable agricultural model.

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Charles, Prince of Wales, will be speaking at Georgetown University during a brief official visit to the United States, according to his press office.

The prince’s visit to the United States will take place from May 3-5. The Prince of Wales will be the keynote speaker at an on-campus conference on sustainable agriculture, an issue which has long been a keen interest of the prince’s.

The Washington Post will be hosting the conference, titled “The Future of Food,” in Gaston Hall on May 4 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Other speakers will include President John DeGioia and investigative journalist Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation.

The Office of Protocol and Events could not be reached for comment, and it is unknown at this time whether undergraduates will be invited to the event. Rachel Pugh, Georgetown’s director of media relations, declined to comment, writing in an email that details will be shared later in the week.

Updated 4/25/11