Yale Sustainable Food Project - Education

Education

The Sustainable Food Project is an integral part of the academic experience at Yale. Since its founding, there has been a proliferation of classes related to food and agriculture at Yale. For undergraduates interested in rigorous academic study of food, agriculture, and sustainability, the Environmental Studies major now offers a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture. For those with a focus in other fields, the Project is frequently the subject of student papers, projects, and theses in a variety of disciplines including psychology, literature, and economics. Students can count on several dozen courses from myriad disciplines to focus on the connections between food, the environment, health, politics, and the global economy. Professor Kelly Brownell’s immensely popular lecture course, “The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food” regularly enrolls more than 300 students and is one of Yale’s most well-attended classes. Project staff continue to act as a resource for professors developing courses like Brownell’s, contributing material to the curriculum, advising student papers, and appearing as guest lecturers.

Throughout the year, public lectures by guest speakers join with culinary workshops and film screenings to offer the Yale and New Haven community a chance to learn more about food and farming. Past speakers have included chefs Alice Waters and Jacques Pepin, authors Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, architect Bill McDonough, and food scientist Harold McGee. Culinary workshops at the Yale Farm and in residential college kitchens provide hands-on opportunities for students to learn the art and practice of skills like bread making, fruit preservation, and lacto-fermentation. Films offer another way for people to learn about food and agriculture; past films shown at the Whitney Humanities Center have included King Corn and Black Gold.