Want to Change The Food System by Adrien Schless-Meier

6/12/2015 Want to Change the Food System? Here's Where to Start | Civil Eats

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Photo by Coqui the Chef.

By Adrien Schless-Meier on May 13, 2014

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At Civil Eats, we often get inquiries from people across the U.S. who want to start volunteering or working in the

food system, but arent entirely sure howor whereto get their hands dirty.

The good news is there are myriad ways to make a meaningful impact, whether in your backyard or across the

globe. You could join a localfood policy council, start a petition onChange.org,write a blog, set up

informational interviews with food system leaders, take an online course, join or start a community garden,

orlearn from others about how they got started. There are also several great organizations that we think are

making a difference. Below, weve listed a number of groups from multiple sectors in the food system which

regularly offer opportunities for people looking to become more involved, including volunteer and internship

positions, entry-level jobs, and academic and vocational programs.

Agriculture and Land Conservation

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National Family Farm Coalition NFFC represents family farmers and rural communities in the face ofeconomic pressures and inequities. The organization regularly supports interns and volunteers whocontribute to the organizations work to protect and strengthen farmer livelihoods throughcommunications, research, and policy analysis.National Young Farmers Coalition NYFC is dedicated to ensuring that the next generation of farmerscangrow food on ecologically vibrant, affordable land. The coalition offers internships in campaigndevelopment, blogging, and event planning.National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition NSAC is an alliance of grassroots organizations thatadvocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, naturalresources, and rural communities. The organization offers paid, full-time internships three times a year towork in their Policy and Grassroots departments.Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) PANNA is one of five regional centers working tobuild an ecologically sound and socially just food system by eliminating the use of pesticides andhazardous chemicals in agriculture. The organization regularly supports volunteers and interns indeveloping skills in the nonprofit and advocacy sectors.Rodale Institute Rodale Institute researches and promotes best practices in organic agriculture tofarmers, scientists, and consumers, and advocates for policies that support farmers. The organizationtypically offers seasonal fellowships from early spring to late fall.World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF-USA) WWOOF-USA offers workers theopportunity to connect with sustainable farmers across the U.S., exchanging labor for on-farm room andboard.North East Workers on Organic Farms (NEWOOF) NEWOOF is a regional farm apprenticeship placementservice that facilitates connections between farms and workers in the Northeastern U.S.

Food Access and Food Justice

The Food Trust Based in Philadelphia, The Food Trust works to ensure that everyone has access toaffordable, nutritious food and information to make healthy decisions. The organization regularly hostsstudent interns from a variety of backgrounds, including public health, social work, writing, nutritioneducation, business, tourism and hospitality, urban gardening, special events, community development,public policy, and urban studies.Food and Water Watch Food and Water Watch is a national consumer advocacy organization thatchallenges the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources. Internship opportunitiesare available three times a year to undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students.Food First Food First is a think tank that advocates for policies that support a just, ecologically soundfood system. Interns contribute to the organization through written work on issues related to food justiceand food sovereignty, and many interns complete one or more publications.Slow Food USA Slow Food USA supports a global food system that is good, clean, and fair for all. Theorganization has 170 local chapters and 40 campus chapters across the U.S. and aims to preserve foodcultures, cultivate new leadership, and connect communities through food. Slow Food USA offersinternships year-round in a range of fields, including development, policy and advocacy, and operations.

Education and Academia

Agriculture Sustainability Institute at UC-DavisStudents majoring in Sustainable Agriculture and FoodSystems (SA&FS) focus on the social, economic and environmental aspects of food and agriculture fromfarm to table and beyond. (This is the only undergraduate major in the field)American University Master of Science in Nutrition Education For those looking to promote betternutrition in their communities, American University offers an online degree program that targets healthy

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changes in large institutions.Berkeley Food Institute BFI is an interdisciplinary institute at U.C. Berkeley designed to promote moreresilient and just food systems, both on the local and global levels. BFI has over75 affiliated faculty andstaffon the U.C. Berkeley campus.Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture CUESA offers education programs for urbaneaters to learn more about local farmers and sustainable agriculture, and operates the Ferry PlazaFarmers Market in San Francisco. CUESA regularly posts opportunities for volunteers to develop skills incommunity education, communications, and outreach.Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC-Santa Cruz CASFS educationalopportunities both on the farm and in the classroom. The program aims to increase ecologicalsustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system.Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health JHBSPH offers academic programs in health andbehavior, public policy, and nutrition. The university also houses the Center for a Livable Future and theGlobal Center on Childhood Obesity.Marylhurst University Department of Food Systems and Society Marylhurst has a Masters of Scienceprogram in food systems and society. The interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on equity, justice, andsustainability in our food system.NYU Steinhardt School Food Studies Program NYU offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoralprograms in a range of issues across the food system, including public health and nutrition, food andculture, and public policy.Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy Tufts food studies curriculum focuses on twomain areas of study: Health and nutrition and food and agriculture policy.University of Vermont Farmer Training Program Those aspiring to step into the field and begin farmingcan participate in UVMs six-month beginning farmer training program. The course of study covers severaltopics in sustainable land management through hands-on, experiential learning.Yale University Yale offers undergraduate courses and graduate programs in agrarian studies. Theuniversity also sponsors the Yale Sustainable Food Project and the Rudd Center for Food Policy andObesity.

Government

U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA offers internship and career development opportunities for youngpeople in high school, current undergraduate students, and recent college graduates. USDA also partnerswith organizations who offer stipends for students of color interested in pursuing unpaid internships with afederal agency.

USDA Hispanic-Serving Institutions National ProgramUSDA-Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership PartnershipUSDA-Washington Internship for Native Students

U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry The Senate Ag Committee offersinternships and fellowships in the spring, summer, and fall. Individuals with interest in agricultural-relatedpolicy are encouraged to apply. While all candidates will be given full consideration, preference is given tostudents, and also those whose permanent residence is the Chair or Ranking Members home states. Inorder to proceed in submitting an application, please select the office to which you are applying, theDemocrat or Republican office of the Committee.

Hunger and Nutrition

Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship The Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program trains the nextgeneration of anti-hunger leaders through a combination of community-based field and national policy



work. Participants learn about a range of approaches to eliminate hunger, poverty, and social inequality(particularly racism), and develop skills in areas such as program development, research, evaluation,outreach, organizing, and advocacy.FoodCorps FoodCorps is a year-long service program designed to promote healthy school food byeducating children, building and maintaining school gardens, and bringing high-quality local food intopublic school cafeterias.Food Research and Action Center FRAC is a research and advocacy organization that focuses oncommunity, state, and national level solutions to eliminate hunger and under-nutrition across the U.S. Theorganization regularly hosts interns and volunteers to develop skills in research, writing, and advocacy.Hunger Volunteer A project of New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH), Hunger Volunteereducates donors and the public about the impact of and solutions to hunger across the U.S. The programconnects volunteers with anti-hunger organizations nationwide.Urban Nutrition Initiative Based in Philadelphia, the UNI program provides paid internships in foodeducation and urban agriculture to high school students during both the school year and the summer. UNIinterns play a significant role in improving community food systems through participation in multipleregional and national networks and conferences.

International

FairTrade FairTrade certifies products sold in the U.S. as fair trade in order to promote sustainable,ethical entrepreneurship across the globe. The organization regularly offers internship opportunities thatbuild participants skills in research and writing on international development.HelpX HelpX includes listings for farms and ranches who invite volunteer helpers to stay with themshort-term in exchange for room and board.Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship The Mickey Leland International Hunger FellowsProgram is a two-year program that builds fellows skills to eradicate hunger and poverty worldwide.Fellows spend the first year working directly to promote food security in the field, and the second yearapplying their experiences to develop sound national and international development policies.Oxfam America Oxfam aims to end poverty and hunger worldwide by focusing on long-term solutions toinjustice. There are several ways to get involved both in your local community and in the organizationsnational offices in D.C. and Boston.World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) WWOOF offers workers the opportunity toconnect with sustainable farmers across the globe, exchanging labor for on-farm room and board.

Additional Resources, Job Sites, and Listservs

General

COMFOOD Jobs Allows individuals and organizations to post and search for jobs in the food andagriculture sectors. Based out of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.Farm and Food Jobs Connects job seekers and prospective employers in agriculture and food relatedindustries across all steps along the food chain.Good Food Jobs Help job seekers looking for meaningful food work find opportunities with farmers,restaurateurs, policy maker, economists, ecologists, and more.

GFJs gastrognomes blog profiles food professionals across multiple sectors to highlight how peopledevelop their careers in the food system.

Farming

Backdoor Jobs



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Beginning Farmer Training Programs

Farm-Based Education Network

The Land Connection

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

National Young Farmers Coalition

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York

Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

Women Food and Agriculture Network

Have another great resource to share? Let us know!

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Want to Change The Food System by Adrien Schless-Meier