Looking back and looking forward: a decade of food systems education serving the land grant mission

Abstract

With the introduction of an undergraduate degree in 2017, the University of Vermont became the first land grant university to offer an interdisciplinary Food Systems degree at the undergraduate, master’s, and PhD level. By many metrics, food systems education at University of Vermont has flourished over the past decade, but opportunities remain to fully implement a transdisciplinary program for the future. In this paper, we reflect on our collective efforts to achieve interdisciplinarity within the food systems curriculum and take stock of the core strengths of our undergraduate programming. Based on lessons learned from a decade of food systems education at University of Vermont, this paper will look ahead to propose a vision for preparing future undergraduates for meaningful employment in the sustainable food system economy. To achieve this, we conduct a mixed methods case study which analyzes administrative data alongside insights gathered from students, alumni, and faculty to identify program strengths and key inputs needed to facilitate impactful career paths for food systems graduates in the coming decade. While early aspirations for our programs to ‘do it all’ were not fully realized, a set of key strengths relevant to our local and regional food economy have emerged, providing opportunities to offer students high-quality training and prepare them for impactful careers.