The University of Michigan is leading interdisciplinary curriculum and cutting-edge research programs around food security and human health, social equity, and environmental impact. U-M organizations are pioneering sustainable practices for the university community and building partnerships with people and organizations at every stage of the food system.
From analyzing the environmental benefits of diversified farming systems to understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food access, U-M experts are leading efforts to bring forward multidisciplinary, sustainable approaches. Some of our key initiatives in food include: the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, the Center for Sustainable Systems, the Campus Farm, the U-M Sustainable Food Program, and M Dining. U-M also offers an interdisciplinary community-academic partnership course, Food Literacy For All, which is open to the public. Find U-M experts in sustainability and environmental science, across fields and academic units.
U-M will achieve carbon neutrality across all greenhouse gas emission scopes, committing to geothermal heating and cooling projects, electric buses, the creation of a revolving fund for energy-efficiency projects and the appointment of a new executive-level leader, reporting to the president, focusing on carbon neutrality-related efforts.
The "Green Revolution" in seed and fertilizer technology that bolstered food production and economic well-being in Asian and Latin American countries which began 50 years ago bypassed sub-Saharan African nations. In 2006, a number of those countries embarked on an ambitious plan to invest billions of dollars into their own green revolution.
What is the carbon footprint for all of the food the University of Michigan consumes? And how can that footprint be reduced? That was one of the many study areas the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality addressed in its final report.
A lot of attention has been paid in recent years to the carbon footprint of the foods we eat, with much of the focus on the outsize contribution of meat production and especially beef. But much less is known about the implications of individual U.S. dietary choices on other environmental concerns, such as water scarcity.
To LSA Collegiate Fellow and anthropologist Alyssa Paredes, the banana narrative is a parable for commerce, environmental degradation, and disparity. By uncovering the complex paradoxes and disconnects in the banana industry, Paredes reveals how industrialized food production shapes the fate of many rural regions in our world.
Food systems initiatives regularly use stories as a communication tool to showcase and gain attention for their work. Yet few of these efforts use systematic ways to collect and analyze stories.
