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December 13, 2023
On the evening of November 14th, 2023, Capitol Hill became the focal point for a gathering hosted by the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Over 100 people were brought together to raise a glass to organic agriculture.
November 16, 2023
By Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University.
October 6, 2023 at the ASU DC campus, the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, Berlin Germany and the German Embassy of Washington DC joined together to host an event designed to identify the most pressing questions policymakers must confront as they write the forthcoming US farm bill.
November 9, 2023
By Brock LaChapelle, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student.
In May 2023, DC Central Kitchen welcomed our cohort from the ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate program to their facility for a tour of their operation. Located in the LEED Certified RiverPoint development, this non-profit organization’s mission is to “use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities.” They do this by providing culinary training, job placement, community/school meals, and an outreach program that supplies the demand for healthy produce in DC food deserts.
November 6, 2023
In this series, we're sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Yujin Park, Assistant Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.
November 3, 2023
By Payton Moore, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student.
In the spring of 2023, my cohort and I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with various policy experts as part of our Food Policy Immersive course. To kick off the week, we first met with Andrew Perry and Steve O’Neill from the USDA Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) via Zoom. They shared valuable insights with us, from where comments go when discussing topics, how addressing rulemaking can be effective (in its passage or not), and self-implementing agencies.
November 3, 2023
In this series, we’re meeting with Swette Center team members to explore their background in food systems, what they are currently working on, and their vision of food systems transformation.
Read on for an interview with Courtney Buzzard, Projects and Events Coordinator.
October 24, 2023
By Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University
My students and staff exclaim – she’s off again on an international trip! Indeed. For nearly six years, I’ve been engaged as a member of the board of trustees for CIFOR-ICRAF, an international institution comprised of two merged research centers that together produce much of the world’s knowledge on trees, forests, agroforestry, and sustainable landscapes. Aside from the pandemic years, I travel twice yearly for board meetings, usually at the campus of CIFOR, in Bogor Indonesia or ICRAF in Nairobi Kenya. In this photo taken in Indonesia, I’m pictured here with fellow board members from the Philippines, Germany, India, Japan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Finland, Indonesia, Kenya, and France.
October 23, 2023
By Timothy Sullivan, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student
When I learned that my graduate cohort would be meeting with USDA Secretary Vilsack during our food policy immersion course in Washington, D.C., the gears immediately started turning in my head. I began vigorously researching Secretary Vilsack’s policy views, wanting to ask him the most impactful question possible in our time with him. As former Governor of Iowa and former President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, many see Secretary Vilsack as a supporter of “big ag.” I learned that this belief is not rooted in reality and ignores the wonderful things Secretary Vilsack has done for the agriculture sector – small, medium, and large.
October 18, 2023
In this series, we're sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Michelle Stewart, Senior Global Futures Scientist and Instructor in the School of Sustainability.
October 17, 2023
By Chelsea Radford, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student.
In May 2023, my ASU Sustainable Food Systems cohort and I made our way to Washington, D.C., for our Policy Immersive course. We had the extreme privilege of meeting with countless individuals who work at the USDA and other government agencies. Two of the folks we met with during our trip were Dr. Deirdra Chester and Dr. Richard Derksen, who work at USDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS).
October 16, 2023
In this series, we're sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Roberto Gaxiola, School of Life Sciences Professor and Senior Global Futures Scientist.
October 11, 2023
In this series, we're sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Rozita Smith, Assistant Director to the International Students and Scholars Center and owner of The Aquaponics Grower.
September 29, 2023
By Copeland Vidal, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student.
Have you ever wondered how the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee carry out their mandate to guide and shape agricultural policies that maintain the welfare of farmers, ranchers, and consumers? This crucial task is facilitated by dedicated staff who are passionate about ensuring Committee members are thoroughly informed and briefed on the intricate technical insight that drives these policies. Being backed up by a team of expert staff allows the Senate Agriculture Committee to efficiently and successfully evaluate legislation related to farming, nutrition, conservation, rural development, and forestry.
The team of staff on the Senate Agriculture Committee is comprised of qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds who are responsible for researching issues, developing legislation, analyzing government programs and laws, and supervising agency activities. Aside from experienced staff, the Committee also works with a team of legislative assistants who represent the interests of the individual senators, particularly members of the Committee, on specific agriculture and rural development policy issues.
September 29, 2023
By: Jocelyn Moguin, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student
Note: Janie Hipp has now transitioned into a new position as President and CEO of Native Agriculture Financial Services (NAFS), and is no longer General Counsel at USDA.
Background
During our DC Immersive, my Sustainable Food Systems MS cohort had the pleasure of sitting down and listening to General Counsel Janie Hipp. Janie Hipp is the General Counsel in USDA’s Office of the General Counsel and was appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate. General Counsel Hipp is an expert in agricultural law, an Oklahoma Native, and a member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is only the 4th woman to have served as General Counsel of USDA and the first Native woman to have served in her role in the nation’s history. For more details on the incredible career path and insights of General Counsel Hipp, read fellow graduate student Eleanor Ross’s impressive blog detailing her history and career.
September 25, 2023
We are thrilled to introduce Arizona State University’s 2023 cohort in the Food Policy & Sustainability Leadership graduate certificate program and Sustainable Food Systems MS program. This marks our 5th cohort of students, and by far the largest and most diverse.
Committed to shaping food and farm policy in the public interest, this dynamic group of 35 leaders represents 19 states and a wide range of professions, including chefs, dietitians, retailers, landscape architects, grant writers, educators, and numerous community and school garden managers. This cohort showcases remarkable diversity in terms of ethnicity, nationality, and race.
September 22, 2023
By Kelly Sheridan, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student
During our immersive week in Washington, D.C., my graduate school cohort had the privilege to meet with Alexis Taylor, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA), and her chief of staff, Jamal Habibi. Under Secretary Taylor is only the second official to hold this position. No stranger to USDA, Under Secretary Taylor served at the department from 2013 – 2017 in a variety of different roles, with the last being delegated the duties of the Under Secretary for the then Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services mission area. Taylor then went on to become the Director of Agriculture for the State of Oregon until 2022.
September 20, 2023
By Amy Mattias, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student
The halls of the USDA Whitten Building in Washington, D.C. were filled with chatter as our group of Sustainable Food Systems graduate students headed to hear from the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP), Jennifer Lester Moffitt, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator, Bruce Summers, and AMS Associate Administrator, Melissa Bailey. USDA has eight mission areas overseen by Under Secretaries, one of which is Marketing and Regulatory Programs. As Under Secretary for this mission area, Moffitt works closely with Administrator Summers and Associate Administrator Bailey as she directs the work of AMS along with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). These two agencies are leaders in setting national and international standards, regulating genetic modification techniques, protecting the domestic health and welfare of plants and animals, and the marketing of all agricultural products produced domestically.
September 20, 2023
In this series, we're sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Jan Stanley, Affiliate Global Futures Scholar, Executive Coordinator in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University, and Contributing Editor for the ASU Alumni Association.
September 20, 2023
In this series, we’re sitting down with the Swette Center-affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. See the rest of the series on our Food Systems Profiles page.
Read on for an interview with Steven Zuiker, Senior Global Futures Scholar and Associate Professor at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
September 15, 2023
By Leanne Kami, ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student.
Graduate students from the ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems got a taste of policy in action this spring as part of a weeklong immersive experience in Washington, D.C., focused on food policy. Among the tools and tactics shared by experts, ranging from rulemaking to media and advocacy, a common theme shared throughout the week was the importance of networks and relationships.
