Food Literacy for All
Launched in 2017, Food Literacy for All is a community-academic partnership course based at the University of Michigan. Structured as an evening lecture series, Food Literacy for All features different guest speakers each week to address challenges and opportunities of diverse food systems. The course is free and open to the public.
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
- Hannah Wittman: Caring for Human and Planetary Health Through Agroecological Transitions
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… Read more: Hannah Wittman: Caring for Human and Planetary Health Through Agroecological Transitions - Panel on Food Waste (jøn kent, Reneé V. Wallace, Hajime Sato, and Jamina Shupack)
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… Read more: Panel on Food Waste (jøn kent, Reneé V. Wallace, Hajime Sato, and Jamina Shupack) - Katherine Miller: The Power of Local Food Systems
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… Read more: Katherine Miller: The Power of Local Food Systems - Shiloh Maples: Seeds of Sovereignty
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… Read more: Shiloh Maples: Seeds of Sovereignty - Four Fish: Oceans, Sea Slavery, Climate Change, and the Future of the Last Wild Food
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… Read more: Four Fish: Oceans, Sea Slavery, Climate Change, and the Future of the Last Wild Food - Tambra Raye Stevenson on Food as Freedom
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… Read more: Tambra Raye Stevenson on Food as Freedom - Food Literacy For All 2025 Introduction
January 14, 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… Read more: Food Literacy For All 2025 Introduction - Fast Food for Thought 2024
April 16th, 2024 10th annual Fast Food for Thought. Speakers include: Speaker Affiliation Talk Title Resources Benjamin Goldstein SEAS, Sustainable Urban-Rural Futures (SURF) lab “Comparing thecarbon footprints ofurban andconventionalagriculture” Comparing the carbon footprints of urban and conventional agriculture Keith Soster… Read more: Fast Food for Thought 2024 - Blain Snipstal | “Agroecology for the people, for life and Forever!”
April 9th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Blain Snipstal discussed “Agroecology for the people, for life and Forever!” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Marcia Chatelain | “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, A Talk about Food and Racial Justice”
April 2nd, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Marcia Chatelain discussed “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, A Talk about Food and Racial Justice.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Amy Bentley, Bob Valgenti, Chad Ludington, and Charlotte Biltekoff | “Food Fights: How History Matters to Contemporary Debates”
March 26th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Amy Bentley, Bob Valgenti, Chad Ludington, and Charlotte Biltekoff discussed “Food Fights: How History Matters to Contemporary Debates.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Jahi Chappell | “Beginning to End Hunger: Lessons from Belo Horizonte Brazil”
March 19th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Jahi Chappell discussed “Beginning to End Hunger: Lessons from Belo Horizonte Brazil.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Reem Kassis | “Cuisine in Context: The History, Evolution, and Challenges of Palestinian Food”
March 12th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Reem Kassis discussed “Cuisine in Context: The History, Evolution, and Challenges of Palestinian Food.” The statement below was read in the beginning of class and is also included in the… Read more: Reem Kassis | “Cuisine in Context: The History, Evolution, and Challenges of Palestinian Food” - “In Conversation with Ashanté M. Reese and Jessica Walker, How Nostalgia Shapes Food Stories”
March 5th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Ashanté M. Reese and Jessica Walker discussed “How Nostalgia Shapes Food Stories.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley | “Heritage Farming”
February 20th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Farmer Cee discussed “Heritage Farming.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - shakara tyler, Jerry Hebron, Joe Cialdella, gabrielle knox | “The History and Future of Food in Detroit”
February 6th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session shakara tyler, Jerry Hebron, Joe Cialdella, gabrielle knox , discussed “The History and Future of Food in Detroit.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Laura MacIntyre (ROC United), Laura Nadal (Community Organizer), Hannah Whitbeck (Starbucks Workers United), Celize Christy (HEAL Alliance) | “There’s Power in a Union: Organizing Workers in the Food System”
January 30th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Laura MacIntyre, Laura Nadal, Hannah Whitbeck, and Celize Christy, discussed “There’s Power in a Union: Organizing Workers in the Food System.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Christy Spackman | “The Taste of Water”
January 23rd, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Christy Spackman discussed “The Taste of Water.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Shiloh Maples | “Food as Resistance”
January 16th, 2024 In this Food Literacy for All session, Shiloh Maples discussed “Food as Resistance.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2024 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_diO8D1vIQVezN_hKY3FBhw#/registration - Jessica Kenyatta Walker, shakara tyler, Lilly Fink Shapiro | “Class synthesis”
April 18th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Jessica Kenyatta Walker, shakara tyler, and Lilly Fink Shapiro wrapped up the semester with a class synthesis. - Dianne Glave | “Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Heritage”
April 4th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Dianne Glave discussed “Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Heritage.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2023 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0TGY1FaMRMSW2VzuP2pPDQ - Kiki Louya & Ederique Goudia | “Equity Matters: The Rise, Fall & Future of Detroit’s Restaurant Industry”
April 4th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Kiki Louya & Ederique Goudia discussed “Equity Matters: The Rise, Fall & Future of Detroit’s Restaurant Industry.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2023 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0TGY1FaMRMSW2VzuP2pPDQ - Liz Carlisle and Latrice Tatsey | “Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming”
March 28th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Liz Carlisle and Latrice Tatsey discussed “Community Food Systems for Climate Justice.” Register to attend future Food Literacy 2023 sessions here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0TGY1FaMRMSW2VzuP2pPDQ - Ozawa Bineshi Albert | “Community Food Systems for Climate Justice“
March 21st, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Ozawa Bineshi Albert discussed “Community Food Systems for Climate Justice.” Talk Description: This talk will explore the relationship between food sovereignty and climate change. As the urgency for action becomes… Read more: Ozawa Bineshi Albert | “<em>Community Food Systems for Climate Justice</em>“ - Kendrin Sonneville | “The new AAP Childhood “Obesity” Guidelines: What are they Recommending and at What Cost?”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Kendrin Sonneville | “The new AAP Childhood “Obesity” Guidelines: What are they Recommending and at What Cost?” - Sabina Tomkins | “What can we tell about sustainability in food product descriptions and reviews?”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Sabina Tomkins | “What can we tell about sustainability in food product descriptions and reviews?” - shakara tyler | “The Story of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund: Decolonization and Abolition in Practice”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: shakara tyler | “The Story of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund: Decolonization and Abolition in Practice” - John Vandermeer | “Coffee, Capitalism, Colonialism, and Coca Cola”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: John Vandermeer | “Coffee, Capitalism, Colonialism, and Coca Cola” - Andy Jones | “Nudging Michigan Diners Toward Lower Carbon Food Choices”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Andy Jones | “Nudging Michigan Diners Toward Lower Carbon Food Choices” - Liz DeBetta | “If You Don’t Eat You Can’t Think: Addressing Food Insecurity through Care”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Liz DeBetta | “If You Don’t Eat You Can’t Think: Addressing Food Insecurity through Care” - Jennifer Blesh | “Rethinking Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Jennifer Blesh | “Rethinking Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture” - Joseph Stanhope Cialdella | “Deep Roots: Potatoes and the History of Growing Food in Detroit”
March 14th, 2023 Fast Food for Thought is an annual event where a group of interdisciplinary UM SFSI faculty and staff affiliates give a series of 5 minute talks related to food and/or agriculture. Register to attend future Food Literacy… Read more: Joseph Stanhope Cialdella | “Deep Roots: Potatoes and the History of Growing Food in Detroit” - Aleya Fraser | “Food Sovereignty and Chocolate“
March 7th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Aleya Fraser discussed “Food Sovereignty and Chocolate.” Talk Description: We will analyze the 2007 Nyéléni declaration on Food Sovereignty which places the farmer at the “heart of food systems and… Read more: Aleya Fraser | “<em>Food Sovereignty and Chocolate</em>“ - Ashley Gripper | “Lessons from the Planning Process for Growing from the Root: Philadelphia’s Urban Agriculture Plan”
February 21st, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Ashley Gripper discussed “Lessons from the Planning Process for Growing from the Root: Philadelphia’s Urban Agriculture Plan.” Dr. Grip has been a part of the team designing Philadelphia’s first Urban… Read more: Ashley Gripper | “Lessons from the Planning Process for Growing from the Root: Philadelphia’s Urban Agriculture Plan” - Niaz Dorry | “A Revol-Ocean to Take Back Our Ocean and Sea-Based Foods”
February 14th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Niaz Dorry discussed “A Revol-Ocean to Take Back Our Ocean and Sea-Based Foods.” Whether used, as fertilizer, animal feed, or direct human consumption, seafood is a major part of our… Read more: Niaz Dorry | “A Revol-Ocean to Take Back Our Ocean and Sea-Based Foods” - Vanessa Parish & Sunny Levine | “The Intersections of Queer Food”
February 7th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Vanessa Parish and Sunny Levine of The Queer Food Foundation discussed “The Intersections of Queer Food.” This discussion explored experiences that food work creates, how queerness is directly impacted in… Read more: Vanessa Parish & Sunny Levine | “The Intersections of Queer Food” - Fozia Ismail | “Food Culture as Companion“
January 31st, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Fozia Ismail discussed “Food Culture as Companion.” This lecture was inspired by work with elders on Somali weaving cultures, much of which is connected to preservation and making of Somali… Read more: Fozia Ismail | “<em>Food Culture as Companion</em>“ - Raj Patel | “The Ants & the Grasshopper Q&A”
January 24th, 2023 In this Food Literacy for All session, Raj Patel discussed the film he co-directed/produced, “The Ants & the Grasshopper”. Raj Patel is an award-winning author, film-maker and academic. His first book was Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden… Read more: Raj Patel | “<em>The Ants & the Grasshopper</em> Q&A” - Jessica Kenyatta Walker, shakara tyler, Lilly Fink Shapiro | “Welcome! Roots: Food, Power & the Climate Crisis“
January 10th, 2023 In this kick-off session, the Food Literacy for All leadership team will give a preview of the range of topics and guest speakers who will join us this semester. Register to attend future Food Literacy 2023 sessions… Read more: Jessica Kenyatta Walker, shakara tyler, Lilly Fink Shapiro | “<em>Welcome! Roots: Food, Power & the Climate Crisis</em>“ - Raphael Wright, Alita Kelly, and Jason Bang | “Supplying Kimchi and Collards during a Global Pandemic”
March 29th, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session Raphael Wright, Alita Kelly, and Jason Bang discussed “Supplying Kimchi and Collards during a Global Pandemic”. Alita Kelly launched a grocery store in Grand Rapids that sources products first from Black,… Read more: Raphael Wright, Alita Kelly, and Jason Bang | “Supplying Kimchi and Collards during a Global Pandemic” - Savala Nolan | “Why Fatphobia? Understanding the Roots and Uses of Anti-fat Bias”
March 22nd, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Savala Nolan discussed “Why Fatphobia? Understanding the Roots and Uses of Anti-fat Bias”. Savala Nolan discusses how Fatphobia (or anti-fat bias) is widespread and has deep roots in the United… Read more: Savala Nolan | “Why Fatphobia? Understanding the Roots and Uses of Anti-fat Bias” - Malik Yakini | “Building Black Food Sovereignty: An Update”
March 15th, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Malik Yakini discussed “Building Black Food Sovereignty: An Update”. Malik Yakini is a co-founder and executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, which aims to combat food… Read more: Malik Yakini | “Building Black Food Sovereignty: An Update” - Deanna Belleny Lewis | “Cultivating a Food System Grounded in Equity: The Role of Healthcare and Healthcare Providers”
March 8th, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Deanna Belleny Lewis discussed “Cultivating a Food System Grounded in Equity: The Role of Healthcare and Healthcare Providers”. This session explores the intersections of public health nutrition, health equity, and… Read more: Deanna Belleny Lewis | “Cultivating a Food System Grounded in Equity: The Role of Healthcare and Healthcare Providers” - A discussion with Hi’ilei Hobart & Margot Finn
February 22nd, 2022 Dr. Hi’ilei Hobart is the author of Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment (forthcoming). She is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and examines the intersections of temperature, taste, and settler colonialism… Read more: A discussion with Hi’ilei Hobart & Margot Finn - Priya Fielding-Singh | “How the Other Half Eats: the Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America”
February 15th, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Priya Fielding-Singh discusses “How the Other Half Eats: the Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America”. Inequality in America manifests in many ways, but perhaps nowhere more than in… Read more: Priya Fielding-Singh | “How the Other Half Eats: the Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America” - Marcus Coleman and Angela Chalk | “Beginning Farmers, Environment, and Feeding Community”
February 8th, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Dr. Marcus Coleman and Angela Chalk discuss “Beginning Farmers, Environment, and Feeding Community”. Angela Chalk is the Executive Director of Healthy Community Services in New Orleans, an organization that helps… Read more: Marcus Coleman and Angela Chalk | “Beginning Farmers, Environment, and Feeding Community” - Dr. Fatima Stanford | “The Role of Weight Bias on Health Outcomes”
February 1st, 2022 In this Food Literacy for All session, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford explores the deleterious impact of weight bias on the impact on the health outcomes of the population. She ascertains how health professionals harbor implicit and explicit… Read more: Dr. Fatima Stanford | “The Role of Weight Bias on Health Outcomes” - Marilyn Wann and Chef Fresh | “Freedom, Food & Fat: Reclaiming our bodies and our world from oppressive weight hierarchies, as part of anti-racism, environmental justice, and more…”
January 25th, 2022 Marilyn Wann and Chef Fresh Roberson invite people to notice anti-fat beliefs and weight hierarchy and then imagine divesting from those oppressive systems. What if thinner ≠ better? What if weight ≠ health? What if people of… Read more: Marilyn Wann and Chef Fresh | “Freedom, Food & Fat: Reclaiming our bodies and our world from oppressive weight hierarchies, as part of anti-racism, environmental justice, and more…” - Emily Contois | “Food Media, Dudes, and Athletes: What Can They Teach Us about Food Literacy and Liberation?”
January 18th, 2022 Instagram posts. TikToks. Food TV shows. Cookbooks written for men. Dude food. Wheaties, protein shakes, and electrolyte-enhanced waters. How do these various foods and media shape who we are and think we can be, how we want… Read more: Emily Contois | “Food Media, Dudes, and Athletes: What Can They Teach Us about Food Literacy and Liberation?” - Winona Bynum, Margot Finn, Lilly Fink Shapiro | “Remaking Dinner for Sovereignty and Joy”
January 11th, 2022 In this kick-off session, the Food Literacy for All leadership team gave a preview of the range of topics and guest speakers who will join us this semester. We’ll learn from incredible speakers about how food relates to race, weight bias, colonialism, environmental… Read more: Winona Bynum, Margot Finn, Lilly Fink Shapiro | “Remaking Dinner for Sovereignty and Joy” - Patricia Escárcega & Leah Douglas | “Communicate”
June 10, 2021 Food Literacy for All 2021 was ended with guest speakers Patricia Escárcega and Leah Douglas. This series is co-led by Andy Jones (School for Public Health), Devita Davison (FoodLab Detroit), and Lilly Fink Shapiro (UM Sustainable Food… Read more: Patricia Escárcega & Leah Douglas | “Communicate” - Shirley Sherrod & Samina Raja | “Enact”
May 17, 2021 The third session of Food Literacy for All this year featured a conversation with Shirley Sherrod and Samina Raja, moderated by Devita Davison. This series is co-led by Andy Jones (School for Public Health), Devita Davison (FoodLab… Read more: Shirley Sherrod & Samina Raja | “Enact” - Navina Khanna & Mónica Ramírez | “Organize”
April 15, 2021 Food Literacy for All featured a second session featuring Navina Khanna & Mónica Ramírez. This series is co-led by Andy Jones (School for Public Health), Devita Davison (FoodLab Detroit), and Lilly Fink Shapiro (UM Sustainable Food Systems… Read more: Navina Khanna & Mónica Ramírez | “Organize” - Anthony Ryan Hatch | “Metabolic Cages for New World Animals, Small and Large”
In this Food Literacy for All session Anthony Ryan Hatch discussed “Metabolic Cages for New World Animals, Small and Large”. Anthony Ryan Hatch, Ph.D, discusses metabolism cages and how they are key experimental infrastructures in human and animal studies used… Read more: Anthony Ryan Hatch | “Metabolic Cages for New World Animals, Small and Large” - Ricardo Salvador & Raj Patel | “Envision”
March 17, 2021 Food Literacy for All 2021 was kicked off with guest speakers Ricardo Salvador and Raj Patel. This series is co-led by Andy Jones (School for Public Health), Devita Davison (FoodLab Detroit), and Lilly Fink Shapiro (UM Sustainable… Read more: Ricardo Salvador & Raj Patel | “Envision” - Leah Penniman | “Farming While Black: Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty”
March 10, 2020 Some of our most cherished sustainable farming practices – from organic agriculture to the farm cooperative and the CSA – have roots in African wisdom. Yet, discrimination and violence against African-American farmers has led to our decline… Read more: Leah Penniman | “Farming While Black: Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty” - Ashley Atkinson, Naim Edwards, Michelle Martinez | “The Hidden Plight of Modern Growers”
February 25, 2020 Detroit growers Ashley Atkinson and Naim Edwards and environmental justice advocate Michelle Martinez discussed how climate change directly impacts urban agriculture and environmental issues in Detroit. - Nicole Taylor | “The Disruption of Traditional Food Media”
February 18, 2020 From glossy print magazines to Instagram stories, media influences how people grow, eat, and consume food. Ten years ago, social media turned every aspect of the gilded culinary world on its head. Today, a new breed of… Read more: Nicole Taylor | “The Disruption of Traditional Food Media” - Zahir Janmohamed | “De-colonizing Food Journalism”
February 11, 2020 Zahir Janmohamed, co-founder of the James Beard nominated podcast Racist Sandwich, spoke about what has, and has not, changed in food media since he and Soleil Ho began their show in 2016. He discussed why he thinks… Read more: Zahir Janmohamed | “De-colonizing Food Journalism” - Robert Lustig | “Corporate Wealth or Public Health?”
February 4, 2020 Mountain Dew Mouth has been the scourge of dentists for decades. But there’s a new disease which affects even more people: Mountain Dew Liver. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) wasn’t even discovered until 1980; and now… Read more: Robert Lustig | “Corporate Wealth or Public Health?” - Pakou Hang | “Racial Justice and Equity in the Food System: Going Beyond the Roots”
January 28, 2020 Pakou Hang is a Co-Founder and the former Executive Director of the Hmong American Farmers Association, a nonprofit in Minnesota that works with Hmong farmers to build intergenerational and community wealth. In this lecture, Hang spoke about… Read more: Pakou Hang | “Racial Justice and Equity in the Food System: Going Beyond the Roots” - Jessica Holmes | “Health Inequities: The Poor Person’s Experience in America”
January 21, 2020 In this lecture, Jessica Holmes engaged with the audience in an in-depth discussion of food deserts, food politics, and relevant policies. Holmes presented an overview of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the potential impact of recent… Read more: Jessica Holmes | “Health Inequities: The Poor Person’s Experience in America” - Course Intro | “Setting the Table for Health Equity”
January 14, 2020 Food Literacy for All 2020 was kicked off by the course leadership team: Jerry Ann Hebron, Cindy Leung, Devita Davison, Lilly Fink Shapiro, and Winona Bynum. In this session, speakers discussed what it means to “Set the… Read more: Course Intro | “Setting the Table for Health Equity” - Paul Greenberg | “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food”
April 23, 2019 100 years ago, nearly everything we ate from the sea was wild. Today more than half of our seafood is coming from farms. This epochal shift is something we haven’t seen since humans first turned from hunter/gathering… Read more: Paul Greenberg | “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food” - Panel Discussion | “Radicalizing Food Systems Education: Perspectives from Detroit to Chiapas”
April 16, 2019Kevin Frank, Bruce Ferguson, Helda Morales, Monique Thompson While nutrition and cooking classes are an important part of (re)educating the public about healthier food options, does it go far enough to motivate wider actions that address environmental problems,… Read more: Panel Discussion | “Radicalizing Food Systems Education: Perspectives from Detroit to Chiapas” - Dara Cooper | “Black Feminist Freedom Dreams: Food Sovereignty and the Urgency of Intersectional Movement Building”
April 9, 2019 What will it take to truly transform the food system? What is ultimately our north star within the food movement? During this presentation, food movement activist and organizer Dara Cooper, National Organizer for the National Black Food… Read more: Dara Cooper | “Black Feminist Freedom Dreams: Food Sovereignty and the Urgency of Intersectional Movement Building” - Samina Raja | “Rustbelt Radicalism Revisited: How Community Action Spurs Food Systems [Policy] Transformation”
April 2, 2019 Much like in the rest of the country, food systems in Buffalo, NY have been overlooked in local government planning and policy. Yet, the food system has played a key role in the rustbelt city’s history and… Read more: Samina Raja | “Rustbelt Radicalism Revisited: How Community Action Spurs Food Systems [Policy] Transformation” - Shirley Sherrod | “Food Literacy vs. Food Access: Can one be addressed in isolation of the other?”
March 26, 2019 This discussion will focus on what should be the intersectionality of food access and food literacy as they relate to people of color in the rural South. SouthWest Georgia will be presented as a case study. A… Read more: Shirley Sherrod | “Food Literacy vs. Food Access: Can one be addressed in isolation of the other?” - Christopher Gardner | “Stealth Nutrition”
March 19, 2019 Most people have plenty of room for improvement in the healthfulness of what they choose to eat and drink. The food industry has proven to be resourceful and clever in marketing a never-ending line of tasty, convenient… Read more: Christopher Gardner | “Stealth Nutrition” - Anna Lappé | “Island Earth: Chemicals, Climate, and the Future of Eating”
March 12, 2019 In this engaging talk, author and activist Anna Lappé takes us down history lane, from the origins of our chemically dependent, petroleum-addicted agricultural system to the corporate conglomerates who dominate that system today. Lappé traces the many… Read more: Anna Lappé | “Island Earth: Chemicals, Climate, and the Future of Eating” - Panel Discussion | “The Story of Food Waste: Connecting Crickets, Compost, and Consumers”
February 26, 2019 Meg Burritt, Anthony Hatinger, Renee Wallace Hear from three Detroiters who are innovating solutions to address the problem of food waste. How do issues of wasted food affect our local and global food system? Are there ways… Read more: Panel Discussion | “The Story of Food Waste: Connecting Crickets, Compost, and Consumers” - Elizabeth Yeampierre | “Climate Justice: The Roots Will Weather The Storm”
Feburary 19, 2019 Elizabeth Yeampierre is a internationally recognized Puerto Rican attorney and environmental and climate justice leader of African and Indigenous ancestry born and raised in New York City. She will be spoke about the intersection of climate justice… Read more: Elizabeth Yeampierre | “Climate Justice: The Roots Will Weather The Storm” - Panel Discussion | “The Politics, Ecology, and Future of Seeds”
February 5, 2019 Eric Kampe, Krista Isaacs, Antonio Rafael What is the significance of seeds in our food system? Who owns our seeds and why does it matter? What are GMOs and how does gene editing technology relate to issues… Read more: Panel Discussion | “The Politics, Ecology, and Future of Seeds” - Sean Sherman | “The (R)evolution of Indigenous Food Systems of North America”
January 29, 2019 Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge reservation, and the founder of the company The Sioux Chef is committed to revitalizing Native American cuisine. Through his research, he has uncovered and mapped out the foundations of… Read more: Sean Sherman | “The (R)evolution of Indigenous Food Systems of North America” - Mónica Ramírez | “Seeding Justice: Ensuring Just Conditions for Those Who Feed the World”
January 22, 2019 Famworkers pick, pack and plant the food that we eat, but they often do not have enough food for themselves and their families. Mónica Ramírez, a prominent migrant rights advocate with more than two decades of experience,… Read more: Mónica Ramírez | “Seeding Justice: Ensuring Just Conditions for Those Who Feed the World” - Jerry Ann Hebron, Lesli Hoey, Devita Davison, Lilly Fink Shapiro, Winona Bynum | “Setting the Table for Food Literacy for All: Discovering Multiple Paths for Food Systems Change”
January 15, 2019Jerry Ann Hebron, Lesli Hoey, Devita Davison, Lilly Fink Shapiro, Winona Bynum What are the diverse ways to work towards food systems change? In this first class of the semester, you’ll get a glimpse into various paths from… Read more: Jerry Ann Hebron, Lesli Hoey, Devita Davison, Lilly Fink Shapiro, Winona Bynum | “Setting the Table for Food Literacy for All: Discovering Multiple Paths for Food Systems Change” - Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) | “Importance of the Farm Bill”
April 10, 2018 Congressman Blumenauer will discusses his goals to “Fix the Farm Bill” and reshape national agricultural policy. Blumenauer’s Food and Farm Act calls for a more equitable Farm Bill that supports healthy food access, the environment, and small and mid-size… Read more: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) | “Importance of the Farm Bill” - Panel Discussion | Marketing Innovations in the Michigan Food System
Rachel Bair, Director for Sustainable and Innovative Food Systems, Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kami Pothukuchi, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Wayne State University Kathy Sample, Co-founder, Argus Farm Stop - Jonathan Bloom | “The Impact and Opportunity of Wasted Food”
From farm to fork, America squanders food at an alarming rate. In total, 40 percent of the available food supply is wasted. In a wide-ranging talk, Jonathan will discuss the underlying causes of U.S. food waste and the implications of this problem before focusing on the many solutions–both personal and society-wide. - Panel Discussion | “Food Policy and Health Outcomes”
March 13, 2018 In this panel session, speakers discuss policy and its impact on community health. The distinguished speakers are: Winona Bynum, RDN, PMP, CSM, Executive Director, Detroit Food Policy Council Alicia Cohen, M.D., M.Sc., Clinical Lecturer, University of Michigan Medical School… Read more: Panel Discussion | “Food Policy and Health Outcomes” - Fernando Funes Monzote | “The Metaphor of the Well: Dilemmas for Sustainable Agriculture”
March 6, 2018 While digging a well by hand for seven months a metaphor emerged —both for agriculture and for life in general. The grueling process of breaking up rocks in the search for water in the most precarious conditions… Read more: Fernando Funes Monzote | “The Metaphor of the Well: Dilemmas for Sustainable Agriculture” - Kimberly Seals Allers | “First Food Justice: Building an Equitable Food System From Birth”
February 20, 2018 The same inequities and systemic barriers that exist in the broader food system also impact the first food environment and, therefore, the most vulnerable among us–infants. In this presentation, Kimberly Seals Allers combines her experience as an… Read more: Kimberly Seals Allers | “First Food Justice: Building an Equitable Food System From Birth” - Chef Kabui | “Colonized Plate: A Tale of African Activism in the South”
February 13, 2018 Rooted in personal and family experience, Chef Kabui will discuss the role of race in the food movement. He asserts that food is the new instrument of oppression. Chek Kabui’s talk will cover family history, philosophy about a new… Read more: Chef Kabui | “Colonized Plate: A Tale of African Activism in the South” - Winona LaDuke | “Indigenous food sovereignty”
February 6, 2018 Food sovereignty is about having choices. Choices of where your food comes from, how it is produced, and what it is that you eat. For Indigenous peoples, food sovereignty is about health, justice, and tradition. Winona LaDuke… Read more: Winona LaDuke | “Indigenous food sovereignty” - Panel Discussion | Local, Small Scale Farmers
January 30, 2018 In this panel session, Melvin Parsons, Stefanie Stauffer, Greg Willerer, and Olivia Hubert share their perspectives and experience with food production in Southeastern Michigan. - Josh Slotnick | “Cheap Food Nation and the Countervailing Force of Community Agriculture”
January 23, 2018 This presentation will combine an interactive dive into our food system with a discussion of Community Agriculture. Our interaction will distill out the values inherent in our food system, then I will describe Community Agriculture as the… Read more: Josh Slotnick | “Cheap Food Nation and the Countervailing Force of Community Agriculture” - Eric Holt-Giménez | “Do Foodies Need to Know About Capitalism?”
January 16, 2018 Everyone who wants to end hunger, who wants to eat good, clean, healthy food, needs to understand capitalism. This talk will address how our food system and capitalism co-evolved. Using political economics we will discuss why—even as local,… Read more: Eric Holt-Giménez | “Do Foodies Need to Know About Capitalism?” - Catherine Badgley & Malik Yakini | “How do we foster a just and sustainable food system?”
January 9, 2018 The 2018 Food Literacy for All course is co-led by a leadership team of Catherine Badgley (UM faculty), Malik Yakini (Detroit Black Community Food Security Network), Lilly Fink Shapiro (UM Sustainable Food Systems Initiative) and organized in partnership… Read more: Catherine Badgley & Malik Yakini | “How do we foster a just and sustainable food system?” - Kelly Brownell | “Creating Better Food Policy: The Need for Connection”
“Creating Better Food Policy: The Need for Connection” Food policy affects the lives of all the world’s inhabitants. The ability to feed the world’s population, the preservation of finite resources such as water and arable land, the protection of the… Read more: Kelly Brownell | “Creating Better Food Policy: The Need for Connection” - Wayne Roberts | “Make America’s cities great again: How food policy can heal and overcome deep social divides”
April 4, 2017 One dominant element of the American spirit is positive-ism. How much time do social cause leaders spend promoting the positive, as distinct from opposing the negative? How much energy is invested in being for, not against, making… Read more: Wayne Roberts | “Make America’s cities great again: How food policy can heal and overcome deep social divides” - Michael Twitty | “Culinary Justice: Defining a Theory of Gastronomic Sovereignty”
March 28, 2017 Food justice, social justice, environmental justice, food sovereignty—and entire language has developed around how we want to see and live in a better world where fairness and right action prevail. In an extension of these concepts, Michael… Read more: Michael Twitty | “Culinary Justice: Defining a Theory of Gastronomic Sovereignty” - Monica White | “Freedom Farmers: Black Agricultural Cooperatives and Building Sustainable Communities”
March 21, 2017 Monica White examines the work of Black sharecroppers and tenant farmers of the late 1960s who fought for the right to participate in the food system as producers and to earn a living wage in the face… Read more: Monica White | “Freedom Farmers: Black Agricultural Cooperatives and Building Sustainable Communities” - Saru Jayaraman | “Forked: A New Standard for American Dining”
March 14, 2017 With over 12 million workers, the restaurant industry is one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the US economy, but also the lowest paying. Restaurant workers in Michigan toil for a little over $3 an… Read more: Saru Jayaraman | “Forked: A New Standard for American Dining” - Tim Crews | “Can a sustainable food system be economically viable and equitable and ecologically sound?”
“Can a sustainable food system be economically viable and equitable and ecologically sound?” Indigenous cultures around the world offer glimpses into how farming practices and local economies can operate within ecological constraints of particular regions. Dr. Crews will begin by… Read more: Tim Crews | “Can a sustainable food system be economically viable and equitable and ecologically sound?” - Ari Weinzweig | “My Beliefs about Food and Cooking”
In this session of Food Literacy for All, Zingerman’s Co-founder and CEO, Ari Weinzweig will share a brief historical overview of beliefs about food and cooking in the US before and after Zingerman’s first opened it’s doors in March of… Read more: Ari Weinzweig | “My Beliefs about Food and Cooking” - Thaddeus Barsotti | “Building An Economically Sustainable Local Food System”
Over the past fifteen years my brothers and I grew our organic fresh vegetable farm from eighty to over eight hundred acres. Our CSA grew from delivering five hundred boxes per week to our customer’s home to delivering tens of… Read more: Thaddeus Barsotti | “Building An Economically Sustainable Local Food System” - Raj Patel | “The Long Green Revolution”
“The Long Green Revolution” Everything we understand today about the food system, from its influence on wage work to the nation-state, has its origins in the 15th century. By looking at these origins, the politics of feeding the world in… Read more: Raj Patel | “The Long Green Revolution” - Ricardo Salvador | “A Healthy, Sustainable, Fair, Humane and Affordable Food System is Within Reach. How You Can Make It Happen”
A Healthy, Sustainable, Fair, Humane and Affordable Food System is Within Reach. How You Can Make It Happen. The U.S. food system has become the model replicated globally. Unfortunately, the system selectively serves those wealthy enough to command its benefits,… Read more: Ricardo Salvador | “A Healthy, Sustainable, Fair, Humane and Affordable Food System is Within Reach. How You Can Make It Happen” - Frances Moore Lappé | “Beyond Hunger: Toward Food”
“Beyond Hunger: Toward Food Democracy” Lappe begins exploring “thought traps” that block the pathway to solutions for so many: Primary is the false diagnosis that hunger results from scarcity that has kept the global focus fixed on production, using an… Read more: Frances Moore Lappé | “Beyond Hunger: Toward Food” - Jennifer Blesh and Malik Yakini
University of Michigan’s Sustainable Food Systems Initiative present Food Literacy for All. The course is a community partnership and is structured as an evening lecture series, featuring different guest speakers each week to address diverse challenges and opportunities of both… Read more: Jennifer Blesh and Malik Yakini
