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 »
Katherine (Kate) Bauer is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is a member of the University’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the Caswell Diabetes Institute, an affiliate of the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, and a Faculty Expert with Poverty Solutions. Trained as a
Faculty Spotlight: Katherine (Kate) Bauer Read More »
February 25, 2025 “Barons” is the story of seven titans of the food industry, their rise to power, and the consequences for workers, eaters, and democracy itself. It paints a stark portrait of corporate consolidation, but it also shows that a fair, healthy, and prosperous food industry is possible—if we take back power from the
March 11, 2025 Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the author of the genre-bending novel, Long Division and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the 2018 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose,
Kiese Laymon: Book Talk on “Heavy: An American Memoir” Read More »
Becca is a farmer, educator, and food access advocate with experience in farm management and youth education. As the Director of Children’s Farms in Action, Becca Harley manages the growing and educational programs at the Montbello Urban Farm, which provides fresh produce for the community. She also facilitates several school-based and community garden programs. She
UM Alumni Spotlight: Becca Harley ’21 Read More »
February 25, 2025 Dr. Hannah Wittman will discuss the concepts of agroecological transitions, food sovereignty, and planetary health. We will illustrate these concepts by exploring the work of agroecological networks in Ecuador and Brasil that connect growers and consumers through participatory certification, food literacy, and solidarity actions. We will discuss rights and responsibilities among diverse
Hannah Wittman: Caring for Human and Planetary Health Through Agroecological Transitions Read More »
February 18, 2025 Learn from four innovative panelists: jøn kent, Reneé V. Wallace, Hajime Sato, and Jamina Shupack, as they share their insights and diverse approaches to tackling food waste. Launched in 2017, Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course at the University of Michigan supported by the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, School
Panel on Food Waste (jøn kent, Reneé V. Wallace, Hajime Sato, and Jamina Shupack) Read More »
February 11, 2025 “The Power of Local Food Systems: How Chefs, Farmers, and Advocates Are Rebuilding America’s Food Economy” will explore how local food networks strengthen communities, boost sustainability, and transform how we eat. Katherine Miller will share stories of collaboration between chefs, regenerative farmers, and food advocates pioneering innovative approaches to revitalize our food
Katherine Miller: The Power of Local Food Systems Read More »
February 4, 2025 Launched in 2017, Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course at the University of Michigan supported by the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, School for Environment & Sustainability, Program in the Environment, and CEW+ Frances and Sydney Lewis Visiting Leaders Fund. From January to April 2025, Food Literacy for All features
Shiloh Maples: Seeds of Sovereignty Read More »
February 2, 2025 Paul Greenberg is the author of seven books including the New York Times bestseller Four Fish and, most recently, A Third Term. A regular contributor to the Times and a frequent guest on national television and radio including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Mr. Greenberg lectures widely at institutions ranging from TED
Four Fish: Oceans, Sea Slavery, Climate Change, and the Future of the Last Wild Food Read More »
January 27, 2025 Tambra Raye Stevenson is the visionary leader behind Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA). Her mission is to cultivate a generation of empowered Black women and girls who drive transformation in the food system, fostering healthier communities through education, advocacy, and innovation. Featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, and Voice of
Tambra Raye Stevenson on Food as Freedom Read More »
