Date: January 19, 2021 Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Ecology, Evolution, Environment & Society, Dartmouth College Dr. Theresa Ong is a scholar activist who found personal and professional nourishment through involvement with Science For The People and volunteering at D-Town Farm. Learn more about her work and connect with her and/or learn more about […]
Alumni Spotlight: Theresa Ong ’17 Read More »
Carrots are picked near Arvin, Calif., Aug. 20, 2020. (Brian L. Frank/The New York Times) Date: December 23, 2020 The impacts of the COVID-19 virus have deepened disparities, worsened health outcomes, and sacrificed the safety of the farmworkers that grow our food in the US. Policies that have been put in place are not often
SFSI Solidarity with the COVID-19 Farmworker Study Read More »
Our annual Fast Food for Thought event brings together a diversity of SFSI affiliates to showcase a wide range of interdisciplinary food systems research, coursework, and activities on campus. As with most things in 2020, the 7th annual Fast Food for Thought took a different format. This year we created a Fast Food for Thought
2020 Fast Food for Thought Compilation Read More »
Authors: SFSI Faculty Affiliates Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer along with EEB students Zachary Hajian-Forooshani and Alexa White Published July 2020 in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment ANN ARBOR— The most recent publication by the Perfectomeer lab of Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer details the affect of lizards and ants on the biological control of the coffee leaf miner in
Unexpected Limitations to the Biological Control of the Coffee Leaf Miner Read More »
Jessica Kenyatta Walker, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of American Culture and Department of Afro American and African Studies at the University of Michigan. Previously, she was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of American Culture in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Dr. Walker started her romance with academia in high
Faculty Spotlight: Jessica Kenyatta Walker Read More »
Cindy Leung is an Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the School for Public Health. She is also a lecturer for the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Faculty Affiliate of the UM Sustainable Food Systems Initiative. Community nutrition advocate, native Californian, and mom, Cindy Leung, is interested in understanding the implications
Faculty Spotlight: Cindy Leung Read More »
Author: Keesa V. Johnson Date: July 31, 2020 Currently, I’m at the midpoint of my first COVID 19 summer, working as an urban agriculture intern with D-Town Farm and Oakland Avenue Urban Farm in Detroit. Our online system is up and open for business! If you live in the area, visit Detroit often, and care
SFSI Intern Reflection: Navigating being a designer and farmer in a digital world Read More »
Date: July 30, 2020 As a part of the Food Literacy for all syllabus each year, students are prompted to get creative and hone in on their writing skills by producing a journalistic article. This year there were four women who stood out in their ability to produce eye-catching, relevant pieces. Teresa Dorado, Bella Mayorga,
Food Literacy for All Graduate Student Journalistic Articles Read More »
Author: Lauren Love, Public Affairs Originally published: July 16, 2020 Published here: July 23, 2020 As part of the university’s continued commitment to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, four University of Michigan professors have been named recipients of the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professorship. Established in 2019, the UDSTP recognizes senior faculty who have
SFSI Affiliate Named for University Diversity and Social Transformation Professorship Read More »
Everyone knows it: An entire box of Girl Scout cookies counts as one serving, right? That’s at least how it feels, and a University of Michigan study in fruit flies finds why this might be: a high-sugar diet muddies the neural circuit that allows you to feel the sensation of satiety and causes you to
High-sugar diet dampens release of dopamine, triggering overeating Read More »
Ivette Perfecto (arms raised) and John Vandermeer play an ecological game with the children during Ecodía. Image credit this page: Jonno Morris. Date: June 24, 2020 Interviewees: Jonno Morris & Sara Donají González Herrera Jonno is a doctoral student in the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and EEB communications. Sara Donají González Herrera
Author: Jim Erickson Date: June 16, 2020 A team of researchers including two University of Michigan ecologists has called on the international scientific community—and especially those in leadership positions—to support the retention and diversity of early career scientists during and after the COVID-19 crisis. In a letter to the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution published
U-M ecologists call for protection of scientific diversity during and after pandemic Read More »
Author: Keesa V Johnson Published: June 3, 2020 As the morning air hits my face, I open the blinds to look out my “ big picture window” of life, as flaring pieces of trauma fill my mind from the continuous acts of anti-blackness sentiments through the United States and the globe plays out continuously. In 2020
SFSI Intern Working with Detroit Urban Farms to develop Online Marketplace Read More »
The most recent updates on the University of Michigan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here. The Maize and Blue Cupboard remains open, providing food, cookware, and other personal items with increased safety precautions at this time. See here for details. COVID-19 and the Urgency of Transforming the Food System Author: John Vandermeer SFSI
COVID-19 and the Urgency of Transforming the Food System Read More »
UPDATE: Food Literacy will be moving to an online format starting on Tuesday, March 17, and will continue to be virtual through the remainder of the semester. We are attempting to quickly adapt our course and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding during this time. We know this is not a perfect solution, but we
COVID-19 Update: Food Literacy For All Now Virtual Read More »
Read the article on the Michigan Daily’s website here. Tuesday, October 1, 2019 – 9:22pm MOLLY NORRIS Daily Staff Reporter The University of Michigan Sustainable Food Systems Initiative held its 6th annual Fast Food For Thought event Tuesday night. Nine speakers presented on a range of topics surrounding sustainable food to over 200 students. The speakers each
Sustainable Food Systems Initiative holds 6th annual Fast Food for Thought event Read More »
October 17-18 East Quadrangle University of Michigan More details available here Listen to the RC Podcast episode about the fonference featuring four of the planning committee members: Alex Bryan, Lilly Fink Shapiro, Virginia Murphy and Lisa Young. #UMFoodSocietyJustice *As of 10/3, registration for the Conference is closed, but we welcome you to see the registration
The Community of Food, Society and Justice Conference, October 2019 Read More »
Talk Description: Join Food Literacy for All’s 10th annual “Fast Food for Thought,” where 10 interdisciplinary UM faculty and staff gave 5-minute talks related to food and agriculture. This event was livestreamed as a Zoom Webinar and held in person at the Dana Building.
Fast Food for Thought 2026 Read More »
Talk Description: Hear about the history and work of The Farmers Land Trust, a national organization working to support farmland protection, transition, and secure access for farmers through the innovative Farmland Commons model, which decommodifies land by placing it in the ownership of local communities. Through this talk, participants will gain understanding of background on
Kristina Villa and Ian McSweeney: The Farmers Land Trust and the Farmland Commons Read More »
Talk Description: The talk provides a general overview of the Homeless Workers Movement (MTST), the biggest urban social movement in Brazil, and its revolutionary Solidarity Kitchens. Within a broader analysis of Brazil’s political and social context, we explore how, besides feeding thousands of people for free, these innovative social technologies serve as zones of community
Session Description: Alice Driver is a James Beard Award-winning investigative journalist from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. She is the author of Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company (One Signal Publishers, 2024). In 2024, the book won the Lukas Work-in-Progress Prize from Columbia Journalism School and
Book Talk: Life and Death of the American Worker by Alice Driver Read More »
Session Description: Climate change and food security are connected in many ways, and both are underlain by soil. Close to 1 billion people globally lack food and nutritional security, and the soil resources needed to produce food are being degraded by human action. In the context of food security, climate change is a threat multiplier,
This panel brings together urban agriculture and food policy leaders from Michigan, Connecticut, and Texas to explore how cities are shaping the future of equitable food systems. Panelists will share how their positions within municipal government influence land access, zoning, funding, and community power, highlighting both hard-won policy successes and ongoing structural challenges. Together, we’ll
Panel of City-Level Urban Agriculture Directors Read More »
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Anthony Flaccavento joined Food Literacy for All for a powerful presentation titled “To Build a Healthy Farm and Food System, We Must Overcome the Rural-Urban Divide.” A farmer and rural development consultant from Appalachia, Flaccavento challenged us to think about how decades of “trickle down” economic policies have increased corporate
Food prices shape everyday decisions. This talk examines the drivers and consequences of food price inflation in the United States. The lecture features case studies showing how specific tariffs affect food prices, illustrating how trade policy decisions translate into real-world impacts. Speaker Bio: Dr. David L. Ortega is Professor at Michigan State University who examines
Dr. David Ortega on Food Price Inflation and Tariff Impacts Read More »
Historically and internationally, students and youth have been at the forefront of advocacy, progress, and movements. By centering student voices and ideas, this session explore sreal-world examples of students envisioning and driving action for food systems transformation. We talk about alternative campus foodscapes, student food sovereignty, and equitable campus initiatives. Panelists: Dr. Michael Classens (Assistant
Jim Embry is a community activist, ecological steward, and cultural historian whose work spans more than six decades at the intersection of social & food justice, environmental sustainability, and cultural transformation. “Imagineers of a Sustainable Future” explores the power of imagination as a catalyst for social and ecological transformation. Through stories, insights, and practical examples
Jim Embry on “Becoming the Imagineers of a Sustainable Future” Read More »
