The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University has launched a new concentration in food systems as a part of the nutrition and food science major.

What is a food system?

A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding populations including growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, distribution and disposal of food and food-related items. A food system is influenced by social, political economic and environmental contexts. Local, national and global food systems are facing many challenges as food security issues arise, populations grow, natural resources diminish and dietary changes are increasing.

What are alternative food systems?

Alternative food sources are becoming more necessary with the growing demand on conventional food systems and environmental issues with limited natural resources, the impact of water shortages and carbon emissions from transportation needs. Local, organic, fair trade and novel ideas are becoming integral in solving food system problems.

What can you do with a food systems concentration?

This concentration is under the Nutrition and Food Science program umbrella and will prepare you with a background necessary for understanding the complex challenges associated with food systems and the broad range of impacts on public health and the environment. Employment is possible in many different areas; commercial food establishments, entrepreneurship, public health settings, private practice, farming and government.

If you are interested in digging into food systems, finding solutions, making policy, fighting food insecurity then this concentration will be what you need to make a difference. Take a look at what the concentration entails with Food Systems Courses and please reach out to our advisers for more information!

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.