Faced with an ecological crisis, public health emergencies and socioeconomic inequities, agroecology emerges as a transdisciplinary beacon of hope.
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 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.
Faced with an ecological crisis, public health emergencies and socioeconomic inequities, agroecology emerges as a transdisciplinary beacon of hope.
Currently the director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity and the secretarial adviser on equity at the U.S. Department of Energy, and formerly the department’s chief diversity officer, Baker will advance sustainability education and research across U-M schools and colleges.
About a third of the food produced globally each year goes to waste, while approximately 800 million people suffer from hunger, according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
A new study published online April 4 in the journal Science finds that agricultural diversification comes with significant benefits, and very few negative effects.
"For more than four decades, Bunyan taught and mentored SEAS students, modeling for them how to be effective advocates for equity and justice in communities that face environmental racism. Thanks to Bunyan’s tireless passion for creating change, his legacy as an environmental justice pioneer will live on in future generations of advocates.”
U-M is marking late March and all of April with a series of events focused on sustainability and climate action, continuing a tradition that began with the first “Teach-In on the Environment” in 1970—which grew into what is now known as Earth Day.