La Comida Nos Une

La Comida Nos Une ( “Food Unites Us”), is a project that examines the scientific, political, socioeconomic, and social justice aspects of sustainable food systems. The project is designed to attract and support undergraduate students from groups that have been historically excluded in order to prepare them for careers related to the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.

Key Components

Sustainable Food Systems Minor

This project has developed an interdisciplinary sustainable food systems minor. This interdisciplinary minor provides students with a holistic food systems perspective, ideal for pursuing food system related careers and graduate programs. The minor includes pathways for completion across disciplines.

See program requirements

View the brochure

Course Enhancement

The enhancement of current course offerings included in the minor to better integrate with each other. For example, instructors of food systems related courses (e.g. Sustainable Agriculture, Human Nutrition, and Food, Nature, Culture) will assess ways to reinforce shared concepts, eliminate redundancies and incorporate novel approaches to food systems hinking. In collaboration with food system partners, a dedicated faculty learning community (FLC) will identify opportunities to increase the inclusion of technical, and decision-making skills within courses to help prepare students for food systems careers.

Sustainable Food Systems Course

Part of this project includes the creation of ANTH 308: Sustainable Food Systems, which is part of the Sustainable Food Systems minor. This interdisciplinary course examines historical, ethical and cultural considerations in food and agriculture industries and paths to food system equity; and emphasizes critical thinking and writing skills to develop solutions for local and national food system sustainability issues.

Faculty Learning Communities

The creation of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC). This project will engage faculty development through a new interdisciplinary FLC for faculty teaching food systems related courses, with a focus on expanding competence in innovative technologies and instructional delivery. The FLC will enhance existing courses with an emphasis on leadership skills development and culturally inclusive pedagogy.

Cohorts

The creation of a Sophomore/Transfer Student Cohort: This project will enroll students in shared sets of courses and activities.

Internships

Facilitating paid student internships with community food system partners.

Project Goals

1

Enhance and expand pathways for entry into food and agriculture careers and graduate programs through curriculum transformation.

2

Deepen Hispanic students’ connections to the campus, food system-related academic programs, and the local food system community.

3

Facilitate collaboration between faculty from all three colleges to promote the food system across disciplines.

4

Increase economic vitality and sustainability of regional food systems.

Project Leadership

Dr. Susan Edinger Marshall, Professor of Rangeland Resources and Wildland
Soils in the College of Natural Resources and Sciences is the Project
Director.

Dr. Chris Hopper, Professor of Kinesiology in the College of Professional
Studies is the Co-Project Director.

May Patiño, a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Arts
Humanities and Social Sciences is the Project Coordinator.

Contact Info

comida@humboldt.edu

Project Status

The Sustainable Food Systems Minor and associated new courses have been approved by Cal Poly Humboldt and will begin enrolling students in Fall 2022.

Grant information

With support from CAHSS for the proposal writing, this four-year, $250,000 grant is supported by the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (HSI), grant no. 2020-38422-32246, from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grant will be administered through Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation, which administers externally-funded grants/contracts and submits proposals to external funding agencies on behalf of Humboldt.