WE Empower Awardee wins Earthshot Prize 2023

2021 WE Empower Awardee, Nidhi Pant (India), won the Earthshot Prize 2023 in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category. Nidhi won 1 million pounds to help scale her business, S4S

ASU Carbon Summit: Food systems discussion and panel

The inaugural Carbon Summit, hosted at ASU's Rob and Melani Walton Center for Planetary Health, served as an informative showcase of sustainable solutions spanning five themes that were all on display through presentations and panels: food systems, energy transitions, circular economies, climate adaptation, and sustainability.

Critical questions to ask and answer about the future of global agriculture in an era of multiple crises

October 6, 2023 at the ASU DC campus, the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, Berlin Germany and the German Embassy of Washington DC joined together to host an event designed to identify the most pressing questions policymakers must confront as they write the forthcoming US farm bill.

From kitchen to community: DC Central Kitchen uses food to change lives

In May 2023, DC Central Kitchen welcomed our cohort from the ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate program to their facility for a tour of their operation. Located in the LEED Certified RiverPoint development, this non-profit organization’s mission is to “use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities.”

Meet affiliated faculty Yujin Park

Read on for an interview with Yujin Park, Assistant Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.

Advising and addressing USDA rule-makers

In the spring of 2023, my cohort and I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with various policy experts as part of our Food Policy Immersive course. To kick off the week, we first met with Andrew Perry and Steve O’Neill from the USDA Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA) via Zoom. They shared valuable insights with us, from where comments go when discussing topics, how addressing rulemaking can be effective (in its passage or not), and self-implementing agencies.

Meet Swette Center staff member, Courtney Buzzard

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 Courtney Buzzard, Projects and Events Coordinator.

GLI team left to right: Dr. Rick Overson, Dr. Arianne Cease, PhD students Mehreen Tahir and Sydney Millerwise and GLI project coordinator Mira Ries

GLI attends 14th International Congress of Orthopterology

The 14th International Congress of Orthopterology was held in Mérida, Mexico on October 16-19, 2023. Over five days we heard from excellent plenary speakers from Mexico, Australia, the United States,

CIFOR-ICRAF is a must-know organization

My students and staff exclaim – she’s off again on an international trip! Indeed. For nearly six years, I’ve been engaged as a member of the board of trustees for CIFOR-ICRAF, an international institution comprised of two merged research centers that together produce much of the world’s knowledge on trees, forests, agroforestry, and sustainable landscapes.

Insight into the policy views of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

When I learned that my graduate cohort would be meeting with USDA Secretary Vilsack during our food policy immersion course in Washington, D.C., the gears immediately started turning in my head.

Michelle Stewart standing in a pool of water surrounded by large stones.

Meet affiliated faculty Michelle Stewart

Read on for an interview with Michelle Stewart, Senior Global Futures Scientist and Instructor in the School of Sustainability. 

Advancing sustainability in agriculture: Insights from OCS leaders

In May 2023, my ASU Sustainable Food Systems cohort and I made our way to Washington, D.C., for our Policy Immersive course. We had the extreme privilege of meeting with countless individuals who work at the USDA and other government agencies. Two of the folks we met with during our trip were Dr. Deirdra Chester and Dr. Richard Derkson, who work at USDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist.