About

A multidisciplinary approach to food studies

The IU Food Institute (IUFI) promotes food studies at all levels: undergraduate, graduate, and faculty to support the development and pursuit of curriculum and research. IUFI raises awareness among the campus community regarding social, economic, environmental, and political issues linked to food and food systems. We also reach out to individuals and groups engaged in food issues in Bloomington and beyond: scholars at other institutions, farmers, restauranteurs, processors and artisans, non-profits, activists, journalists, and so on.

The Food Institute pursues its mission on campus in a number of ways:

  • sponsoring a regular seminar series highlighting food studies on campus and in our community  
  • hosting the Critical Food Studies lab
  • coordinating with the work of the Sustainable Food Systems Science group 
  • promoting food curriculum and the undergraduate Certificate in Food Studies housed at IUFI (together with other food studies majors, minors and concentrations sponsored by Geography, Anthropology, and the Integrated Program for the Environment)
  • coordinating with the Food Working Group of SustainIU and IU Dining with the goal of creating a more sustainable food system on campus
  • promoting student organizations interested in food issues, e.g. the Food Education groups which meets regularly at IUFI
  • coordinating with the Campus Farm

The overarching goal of IUFI is to promote a vibrant debate on campus regarding the pressing need to transition to a more sustainable food system, locally, nationally, and globally.