Food systems are particularly important for human societies to sustain, as well as particularly vulnerable to multiple threats related to the interconnected sustainability challenges we face.

Reflecting the breadth of food system issues researched and taught at ASU, the School of Sustainability now offers a 15-credit interdisciplinary Certificate in Food System Sustainability - a comprehensive, sustainability-oriented introduction to food systems for undergraduate students.

The certificate, which complements a variety of majors from agribusiness to English, draws from food-related courses in the social sciences, humanities, life sciences and applied sciences. Each discipline approaches food sustainability from a different angle, giving students a holistic understanding of food-related challenges and solutions.

We are particularly excited to announce a new class for Fall 2015, SOS 117: Food System Sustainability, the core and only required course for the certificate.

SOS 117 will introduce students to the concepts and issues involved in food system sustainability across four modules. The first three will address the other systems with which food systems interact: socio-ecological, socio-cultural and socio-technical systems. The final module will address the future of food systems.

Field trips and guest lectures by faculty across ASU will introduce students to real-world sustainability issues in Arizonan food systems, providing an opportunity for them to engage in solutions-based learning by working with stakeholders to increase sustainability solutions.

For more details, contact course convener Dr. Jennifer Hodbod.