Although U.S. food system challenges are disproportionately borne by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), these students made up only 3% of those receiving agriculutural degrees in 2019 (NCES 2020).
We’re delighted to share that UGA’s Sustainable Food Systems Initiative and Spelman College’s Food Studies Program have been awarded a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant to increase diversity and promote an inclusive curriculum for students pursuing food and agricultural science degrees by building an equitable and resilient partnership between our two programs.
We anticipate that this program will serve as a model for strengthening cross-institutional partnerships aimed at expanding racially inclusive curriculum and mentoring, and increasing the representation of BIPOC undergraduate and graduate students in FAS programs. By collaboratively addressing barriers to diversity in FAS, we will help build a diverse and representative pool of future FAS educators, thought leaders, and practitioners.
