Overview

The Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) specialization is designed to empower students with a critical and innovative approach to tackling essential challenges within the food system. This specialization takes a comprehensive view of food systems, encompassing all stages of the food supply chain: from cultivation and production to processing, transportation, retail, consumption, and waste management. This inclusive perspective also acknowledges the diverse range of stakeholders involved, such as private sector entities, NGOs, research institutions, and government agencies, all of which contribute to the sustainability of these intricate systems.

Student in brown overalls and green hat holding a clipboard walking away from the camera in a field of green. Through this specialization, students will cultivate a systemic outlook on the intricate relationship between food and the environment. They will develop an understanding of how science, policy, and ethics interconnect, while also grasping the intricate balance between conflicting objectives, potential solutions, and resultant outcomes.

Upon completing this track, graduates will emerge equipped with the knowledge and competencies required to spearhead positive changes in food system sustainability. Their skill set will position them as leaders capable of making impactful contributions within the private sector, government bodies, or non-profit organizations, both domestically and on an international scale. Notably, the Front Range region of Colorado is swiftly establishing itself as a global hub for innovative sustainable food system practices. Students will gain a distinct advantage by having direct and regular access to prominent local food system entrepreneurs and thought leaders, enhancing their learning experience and potential impact.

Guiding Principles

  1. Comprehensive View and Inclusivity: The specialization adopts a comprehensive perspective by addressing all stages of the food supply chain, from production to waste management. It recognizes the involvement of various stakeholders, including private sector entities, NGOs, research institutions, and government agencies, emphasizing inclusivity in its approach.

  2. Critical and Innovative Approach: The specialization encourages students to adopt a critical and innovative mindset when approaching essential challenges within the food system. This principle emphasizes the importance of thinking beyond conventional solutions.

  3. Systemic Outlook and Environmental Relationship: Students are guided to cultivate a systemic outlook on the intricate relationship between food and the environment. This principle highlights the interconnectedness of various elements within the food system and their impact on the environment.

  4. Interdisciplinary Understanding: The specialization facilitates an understanding of how science, policy, and ethics intersect within the context of food systems. This principle underscores the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to comprehending and addressing complex challenges.

  5. Leadership and Positive Impact: Graduates of the program are equipped with the knowledge and skills to become leaders capable of driving positive changes in food system sustainability. This principle emphasizes the role of graduates as change agents within the private sector, government, and non-profit organizations, both locally and globally.

Course Requirements 

Examines agricultural and food law and policy in the United States with a focus on enhancing sustainability and equity while ensuring a sufficient food supply. Surveys the history, overlapping mandates, authority, philosophies, and rules of the USDA, FDA, and EPA. Investigates policies pertaining to production, environmental impacts, food constituents, labeling, safety, manufacturing, marketing, retail, nutrition guidance and assistance programs. Recommended prerequisites: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems: Nourishing Humanity within Planetary Boundaries. Previously offered as a special topics course.

The course will explore the evidence and ideas underlying some of the most important contemporary food system debates. We will ask: in enhancing the environmental sustainability of food systems, what do the data tell us about the roles that can be played by genetically engineered food, organic agriculture, local food systems, changes to animal agriculture, and reductions in food waste? Students will draw on peer-reviewed research to address the science, policy, and ethical dimensions of these topics.

Take each one-credit modules from among the courses below to build quantitative skills relevant to food systems work.

Benefit Cost Analysis (ENVM 5043): Analyze the environmental, economic, and international dimensions of a range of food production systems. Focuses on the economic benefit-cost analyses (BCA) that inform decision-making in food systems. BCA is a widely used economic valuation tool that involves estimating all benefits and costs in monetary terms and then adding and comparing those values and can help communicate the economic benefit of a proposed intervention.

Life Cycle Assessment - Bringing Objectivity into Subjective Conversations (ENVM 5044): Use the food system landscape to provide an introduction to life cycle thinking, including a survey of industry standards, approaches and tools useful in better understanding and making decisions around sustainability.

Introduction to Monitoring & Evaluation (ENVM 5045): Gain an understanding of traditional and new approaches to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in the context of food and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems in the developing world. Covers rigorous impact evaluation designs and when to use each.

SFS Required and Elective Options (students must choose one):

Integrating a scientific framework, and ecological concepts with a concern social justice and cultural regeneration, this class introduces students to Agro-ecology as a discipline and a set of practices highlighting the multi-functionality of agricultural systems. We will also explore Agro-ecology as a social movement that aims to leverage traditional ecological knowledge to decolonize the multiple ecologies from seed to gut.

The course will explore the evidence and ideas underlying some of the most important contemporary food system debates. We will ask: in enhancing the environmental sustainability of food systems, what do the data tell us about the roles that can be played by genetically engineered food, organic agriculture, local food systems, changes to animal agriculture, and reductions in food waste? Students will draw on peer-reviewed research to address the science, policy, and ethical dimensions of these topics.

This course will examine the justice implications of the relationship between humans and the natural environment and in particular land use. We will take as a premise that all people have the right to access clean water, air and soil and to be free of contamination and hazardous pollution. We will look at current struggles and debates around topics of environmental quality and the processes that deny people access to basic resources and force some communities to bear environmental burdens more than other communities. In particular we will focus on the well-established ecological, economic and health related outcomes of the current industrial food system model. This course will ask students to link theories of social inequality and dynamics of power to those of environmental studies. This class will aim to foster student led discussions around race, class, countries of origin, and gender to understand how social relations of production and power intersect with environmental outcomes. We will primarily focus on the US but some attention will be given to international perspectives and issues.

Qualitative Research Methods is oriented to students who are likely to engage in research of any kind, formal or informal, that is concerned with people and the environment. It will cover the methods, employed in social sciences, that help us understand people's perceptions, beliefs, motivations, and actions around environmental issues.

 

Relevant Specialization Capstone Projects 

Important note: these specialization requirements were updated in November 2021 and are applicable for current MENV students beginning the program in August 2021. All other MENV students should refer to their cohort’s curriculum for degree requirements.

Students must take a total of four SFS courses (12 credits): three core classes and one core elective.