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A new course about plant-based food systems will soon be available to all undergraduates within the University Of California (UC) school system.
California’s acclaimed Plant Futures program will now include “Introduction to Plant-Centric Food Systems,” a for-credit course with 10 distinct modules on positive food system change.
These modules include Climate & the Environment, Health & Nutrition, Animal Welfare, Social Impacts, Innovation, Policy & Law, Behavioral Change, Media, and Plant-Based Cooking. The course will be co-instructed by Miyoko Schinner, a vegan chef, author, and activist, and Brittany Sartor, program director and co-founder of the Plant Futures Initiative.
Participants will engage with leading experts on relevant topics, take part in guided discussions, and tackle “real-world assignments” through personal and systemic change. According to Plant Futures, it developed the new course in response to growing demand.
Read more: Experts Recommend US Dietary Guidelines Prioritize Plant-Based Proteins
What does a plant-centered, sustainable future mean?
Sartor and fellow UC Berkeley alumni Samantha Derrick founded the Plant Futures Initiative in 2021 while they were still studying to “bridge the gap” between students and industry. The initiative partners with over 60 influential plant-based and vegan organizations and has programming or curricula at 80 different universities throughout North America.
In 2024, the nonprofit first welcomed Schinner as a co-instructor for the UC Berkeley Plant Futures Challenge Lab, a 3-unit course cross-listed at Berkeley’s School of Public Health and Haas School of Business. In 2023, Harvard University and UCLA’s Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies also offered the Challenge Lab.
“Miyoko has a remarkable ability to challenge students to rethink what a plant-centered, sustainable future truly means – be it in the form of innovation or traditional practices,” said Sartor. “This kind of framing is essential for building a more equitable and just food system for future generations.”
“Plant Futures: Introduction to Plant-Centric Food Systems” will run from January 21 to May 03, 2025, as part of this year’s spring semester. UC students who want to enroll can sign up here. Plant Futures encourages early registration.
Read more: Berkeley Becomes The First US City To Ban Factory Farming
