Meet Swette Center staff member, Allison (Allie) Lansman

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 Allie Lansman, Research Specialist. 

When did you first get interested in food systems work? 

My entire life has been surrounded by food and agriculture. I always like to say that I grew up either playing in the dirt or playing in flour. I was raised in Iowa on a conventional grain farm, where my family grew corn and soybeans. That was something that really ignited my passion for the challenges that face our agricultural system. Not only did I grow up in the middle of a cornfield, but my mom is an amazing cook and entrepreneur who had a successful rural restaurant where I worked for many years as a waitress and culinary support. Eventually, I took on menu development and procurement to expand purchasing from local produce and protein producers in the area. This experience opened my eyes to diversified, direct-to-consumer growing opportunities in a sea of industrial grains that I’d never considered before and furthered my passion for food systems. 

I went into my undergrad at Iowa State University majoring in dietetics and, at first, didn't think I would go into agriculture. But then I took a required course for my undergrad called World Food Issues, which I later discovered was partially developed by Ricardo Salvador, former Director and Senior Scientist for the Union of Concerned Scientists and former Senior Fellow for the Swette Center. That class transformed my view on food systems; it was a pivotal moment for me in terms of understanding what agriculture is, what it can be, and what it can do to transform our future and our ability to sustain nutrition security for current and future generations. It expanded my view of nutrition and health, and taught me to look beyond the plate to understand the real impact of our food. How does it impact our environment? What are the cultural and social justice impacts? What are opportunities to engage nutrition and health all the way from production to consumption and beyond? 

What are you working on currently? 

Having just joined the Swette Center a couple months ago, I'll soon be supporting educational efforts and agricultural and ecological resource conservation projects. I’m also the first Registered Dietitian on staff, and I have a Masters in Public Health, so I’m overlapping in my expertise in those areas. I like to say I’m nourishing sustainable food systems transformation. Currently, though, I’m focusing on knowledge sharing and skill development opportunities for farmers and food system professionals, in addition to working on upcoming projects that address upskilling nutrition professionals to engage as competent stakeholders in food systems transformation.  

What do you think is a priority in transforming food systems? 

One thing that I key into when it comes to transforming food systems is the power of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, because that's what fueled my interest in sustainable food systems. Those are core concepts that resonate with me, and have helped me connect a lot of dots across disciplines, as well as with community members. Staying curious and creative breaks down those boundaries and helps identify innovative opportunities to progress food systems transformation forward. 

I believe it is essential to revisit our foundational traditional knowledge and learn from its wisdom, honoring the practices that have historically proven effective. Additionally, we must ensure that all individuals who deserve a voice in our food systems have a seat at the table. Everyone has a role in food systems—whether they realize it or not. For some, it’s a direct area of work, while for others, it’s simply the joy of savoring food throughout the day. Since we are all eaters, I firmly believe there can never be too many cooks in the kitchen. 

Any advice for current food systems students? 

This profession is deeply driven by passion, with a lot of emotion fueling the work we do. At the same time, it’s incredibly complex, with endless opportunities to learn and grow. Amid this, it’s important to remember that food has a unique ability to connect us to one another and to our cultural roots—bringing immense joy and celebration. My advice is to be intentional with your free time and seek out opportunities that embrace that joy and celebration. These moments can keep you inspired and remind you why you chose this career path in the first place. It’s an often-overlooked practice, but prioritizing it can help prevent professional and emotional burnout. 

What is your favorite food to make? 

I really enjoy experimenting with tofu. I like it because it’s a plant-based, complete protein, and it’s very versatile and provides opportunities to try many different cultural dishes that highlight tofu and traditional bold flavors. That’s something I find powerful because I grew up surrounded by soy fields, yet nobody I knew ate tofu. There are a lot of social reasons behind that, but for me, eating and appreciating this food that my family always grew brings things full circle.