Higher Education & Creating a Climate Friendly Food System: The Role of Ethical & Religious Values

Hosted by the Center for Food Systems Transformation at the University of San Diego, "Higher Education & Creating a Climate Friendly Food System: The Role of Ethical & Religious Values" gathers college and university faculty, especially scholars of religion, who wish to understand how we as faculty can support better alignment between our schools’ values and the food our institutions serve. It is inspired by recent events that suggest colleges and universities are uniquely poised to model changes in food systems that could dramatically reduce climate impact. The 2023-2024 academic year saw nearly 400 colleges and universities across the U.S. with more than 1 million students experiment with using plant-based nudges. This “DefaultVeg” strategy gained currency after a pilot study, published in the in February 2024, demonstrated that defaulting to plant-based options achieved a 23.6% average drop in greenhouse emissions without adversely impacting diner satisfaction.

The format will combine time for networking and enjoying local food and drink with peer presentations and pragmatic guidance from nonprofit community partners who have been involved in supporting these changes in campus dining. We'll workshop how to integrate support for more just and sustainable campus food systems with our faculty obligations to teaching, research, and service.

• Advanced registration is required and space limited.
• The suggested donation is $25.

If you have any questions about the event, please don't hesitate to contact the Center for Food Systems Transformation Director and Program Chair Aaron Gross at [email protected].

Host or Publisher USD Center for Food Systems Transfromation