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Sustainable Food Systems (B.S.)

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Program Overview

The food ecosystem is at the core of the planet’s well-being. Your well-being.

The future of food is taking shape on the campuses of Johnson & Wales University. We stand upon our reputation as a global leader in culinary education to push the boundaries of learning and action. The Sustainable Food Systems program takes you through the web of the food system, from the farm to supply chains, from the debate hall to the kitchen, and from the community to the Capitol.

Our interdisciplinary curriculum allows you to work closely with faculty who have expertise in a multitude of disciplines relevant to the challenges of our times. Each one of these mentors will help guide you towards your vision of having a lasting cultural impact. You will explore a vast array of topics that prepare you to take a leadership role in a generation of globally active citizens.

This program encourages you to discover where your passion for food can take you. Food industries, large and small, need leaders whose vision sees beyond the horizon and whose voices define a paradigm shift towards sustainability. Your future starts here.

Appy to JWU Request Information
I’m excited about this program because it opens up the conversation of preservation, not only for our resources but for our way of life in society. AMANDA GONZALEZ '22

JWU Career Outcomes

This program is available in Providence. Contact Admissions for more info.

Admissions is contingent upon meeting the technical standards for this program. To learn more, visit the JWU Catalog’s technical standards page.

Featured Faculty

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Branden J. Lewis

Associate Professor

Branden Lewis, Ed.D., teaches a number of classes in sustainability, where students learn where food comes from and actually travel our food web.

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Douglas Stuchel

Associate Professor

My passion is food systems, ethical farming, culinary arts, sustainability & wellness and food justice.

Sample Courses

  • Cultivating Local Food Systems
  • Growing for the Menu
  • Politics of Food, Human Security & Social Justice
  • Sustainability in the Culinary Kitchen
  • Health & the Harvest
  • Ethics: A Global Perspective
  • Internship

In addition to classes, free elective credit can be applied to a number of options such as Directed Experiential Education (DEE), internship, minor or study abroad. You are encouraged to contact an advisor before scheduling free elective credits.

Explore the full JWU Catalog course listing:

Providence

Victor Delgado working at Hopkins Southdowns Farm.

On the Farm: My Internship at Hopkins Southdowns

Victor Delgado '19 was looking for experience outside the restaurant industry when he followed up on an Instagram post by Rhode Island farm Hopkins Southdowns looking for dedicated interns. Chef Branden Lewis connected Delgado with farmer Don Hopkins, and a life-changing internship began.

I could not think of a better way to learn about food than where it all starts.

Once I began working at Hopkins Southdowns Farm, I started becoming more conscious about food waste, which was a big thing for me already. Working with animals and vegetables before they reach the food production stage makes you value your product so much more. I have always had a love for animals, but I had never had the opportunity to work with livestock.

The experience I am getting at Hopkins is unlike anything I have done in the past and includes everything from fence work to dealing with the sheep directly.

READ THE STORY

Did You Know?

  • By 2020, 65% of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school.
  • There will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020: 24 million openings from newly created jobs and 31 million openings due to baby boomer retirements.

Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce at CEW.georgetown.edu

Faculty Contact

Providence

Branden Lewis
401-598-1972
Email

As of June 23, 2020, programs in this catalog will no longer be offered to new students at the Denver and North Miami campuses. At the close of the 2020-2021 academic year (subject to possible courses through the summer of 2021), no programs in this catalog will be offered to any students at the Denver and North Miami campuses, as those campuses will be closing after the end of the 2020-2021 academic year (subject to possible courses through the summer of 2021).

How JWU Ranks

“Once I began working on the farm, I started becoming more conscious about food waste, which was a big thing for me already. I could not think of a better way to learn about food than where it all starts.” VICTOR DELGADO '19

Hopkins Southdowns Farm Internship

“Get your hands dirty. Go work on a farm. Learn what it takes to germinate a plant, to grow, to harvest. Learning what wild edibles are out there is also a good gauge for the seasons.” CHEF MATT VARGA '05

Gracie’s, Ellie’s