Class in the Student Organic Garden. Photo by Jocelyn Hsu.

Food Systems Minor

The Food Systems Minor, hosted by the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management (ESPM) at the College of Natural Resources (CNR), is an interdisciplinary program of study that explores the role of food within the environment and society.  Drawing from diverse fields as far ranging as ecology, sociology, the humanities, nutrition, history, and economics, the food systems minor critically examines issues of contemporary food and agriculture from a whole-systems perspective. Students are required to take 5 courses to complete the minor, one of which is the required community engagement course, “Experiential Learning Through Engagement in Food Systems” (ESPM 197). Students will ideally complete this course in their junior or senior year, allowing them to bring together what they have learned in classes in a real-world setting. Students who complete the minor will gain a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of critical themes and concepts related to the social, political, economic, environmental, cultural, nutritional, and public health issues of contemporary food and agriculture systems both domestically and internationally. Learn more about the minor.

Three Years of the Food Systems Minor

In May 2019 Food Systems Minor graduates Daniela Solis and Mackenzie Feldman, together with Food Systems Minor lecturer Paul Rogé, released Discussing the Food Systems Minor at UC Berkeley: a Three Year Report to reflect on the accomplishments of the first years of the minor and identify areas for improvement in terms of student learning and outcomes.

For the Food Systems Minor Leslie (Leke) Hutchins conducted research on traditional ecological knowledge at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
For the Food Systems Minor Leslie (Leke) Hutchins conducted research on traditional ecological knowledge at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.