Nutrition

Do you care about nutrition and community food security? Do you love working with people and “thinking on your feet?” Do you enjoy organizing, planning, and thinking about “the big picture?” Are you passionate about a sustainable food system and the environment?

The Sustainable Food Systems Management (SFSM) concentration emphasizes ecological approaches and systems-based thinking for students to develop understanding of local, regional, and international food systems. Students are prepared for position in food management and careers focused on sustainable food systems in businesses, healthcare, and community-based organizations. Students in SFSM train for jobs in food management while promoting values for nutrition and public healthy, the environment, and fair food systems. Students in this major learn to be leaders and advocates for managing sustainable, community food systems, using their skills in institutions, small businesses, and other organizations.

What Interests You?

Food Entrepreneurs – students in the SFSM major build skills in food entrepreneurship. Careers include opening a healthy, sustainable, local food café or starting a local, healthy-food marketing business. Managing a farmer’s marketing, creating a farm-to-institution distribution business, opening a local food coop, or working for an artisan farm, event planner for local food events, and working in product development for farms or local businesses are all potential paths.

Food Management and Sustainability – In corporate or institutional settings, individuals are needed to develop and oversee the incorporation of sustainable menus. Positions include food and sustainability manager for corporate or campus dining; school or hospital foodservice director with a focus on farm-to-institution; or program director for a government farm-to-table outreach.

Social Entrepreneurs in Food – Careers in the SFSM major include pathways to community programs and organizations in food security and sustainability. Potential positions include working in local government agencies that focus on food security; social entrepreneurs who create or work in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in food security and sustainability; food and nutrition educator for local nonprofits or food banks; and research for advocacy groups.