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Food and Agrarian Systems
Indiana University Bloomington

Food and Agrarian Systems

Fresh orange carrots with green stems in a white mesh bag.
 

Goal

The goal of the Food and Agrarian Systems Consortium or FASC at IU Bloomington is to create a forum for discussion of issues related to food, agriculture, and nutrition, one that transcends schools and university hierarchy. Housed within the Ostrom Workshop Food and Agrarian Systems will host academic and social gatherings to connect researchers and practitioners in complimentary disciplines related to food and agricultural systems.

Mission

The Food and Agrarian Systems Consortium mission is to be the academic and social food hub on campus, connecting researchers, students, and staff on collaborative efforts focused on food systems.

Four distinct capacities for FASC on the IU Bloomington campus will engage students, faculty, students, and community partners in unique ways, focused on the breadth of food and agrarian topics. 

  • Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Research

    We actively foster scholarly connections and are a hub of activity and connectivity between colleagues for food and agriculture conversations, scholarship, education, and outreach.  From the arts to the sciences, we bolster faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate student engagement on food system issues.

  • Cohesive and Complimentary Curriculum

    We convene campus-wide food systems curricular meetings and work to educate the next generation of food citizens. Instruction is rooted in values of environmental resiliency, equity, and justice and we foster connections to real-world opportunities.

  • Hands-on Applications for Student Engagement

    We facilitate unparalleled food experiences for students on the IUB campus, including hands-in-the dirt work at the IU Campus Farm, assessing values-aligned food procurement on campus, and mentoring student leaders working to understand and improve community and global food systems.

  • Community engaged Service and Outreach

    We connect on and off-campus innovators and partners to lead and support numerous real-world applications of food systems work, including climate-smart food production, values-based food supply, farm viability, land access and transfer, food insecurity and equity-centered community food conversations.