B.S. in Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems, Sustainable Food Systems Option

The Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS) program offers an interdisciplinary, hands-on curriculum focused on the ecological, cultural, economic, and health aspects of food and bioenergy systems from production through consumption.  The degree plan is intended to prepare and motivate students as agents of change to address society’s most pressing food and system related issues towards sustained environmental and human well-being. Students of the program are provided with broad interdisciplinary training founded on a core SFBS curriculum while gaining disciplinary training by selecting one of four program options housed in either the College of Agriculture or the College of Education, Health and Human Development: (1) Sustainable Food Systems, (2) Agroecology, and (3) Sustainable Crop Production. The SFBS program seeks to enhance students’ practical and critical thinking skills to explore food system topics through service-based learning internships, hands-on production, training on research methods, independent and group projects, and community engagement.  Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses as outlined in the major.

The undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems, Sustainable Food Systems option trains students in the natural and social sciences to evaluate and mitigate the complex outcomes of local, national, and international food systems for human health, well-being, and equity. This option focuses on the interface of food production, nutrition and health implications, cuisine, food policy, food security, and planetary health. Students in this option can expect to analyze food systems through a transdisciplinary approach, practice effective communication to diverse audiences, demonstrate practical skills in the food system based on sustainability principles, and design, implement, and assess food system solutions across scales.

The Sustainable Food Systems option trains students in the interface of natural and social sciences to understand the complexity of our food system and its consequences for human health and community well-being. This option focuses on the interconnections between sustainable agriculture, community resilience, food security, as well as human and planetary health. Courses in this option provide a disciplinary foundation in food sources and uses, nutrition, and systems thinking. In addition, it provides insights into disciplines such as agroecology, environmental sciences, plant and animal production, biology, soils, chemistry, sociology, economics, policy, and business/entrepreneurship. Students develop practical and critical thinking skills through hands-on experiences including internships, an organic farming practicum, culinary experimentation, conducting research projects, and interacting with stakeholders. The multiple lenses and tools provided to assess and manage food system outcomes will empower graduates to address food system challenges such as climate change, food justice, local/regional supply chain resilience, food access and food insecurity, nutrition-related chronic disease, food safety, Indigenous food systems, and sustainability-focused food product innovation. Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses of the major

Graduates from this option are prepared for a wide range of careers in basic and applied scientific research, community nutrition, community food security, public health, Extension education, food and nutrition policy/advocacy, food enterprise, community-supported agriculture, Indigenous food systems, urban food systems, food processing, food marketing, retailing, and distribution.

For more information about the Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems: Sustainable Food Systems major, visit the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, & Kinesiology program page.

Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses as outlined in the major. 

Program Learning Outcomes

• Analyze food systems through a transdisciplinary approach, guided by sustainability principles.
• Practice effective communication through oral, written, and visual formats to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrate practical skills in the food system based on sustainability principles.
• Design, implement, and assess food system solutions across scales.