Office of Sustainability

The College of Human Sciences has developed one of the only Hunger Studies minors in the country. Students representing every discipline apply their major studies in cross-disciplinary classes that interactively study and discuss how to solve hunger. Students examine hunger as a complex issue of sustainable human development. Topics include causes and consequences of U.S. and global hunger, as well as current responses and potential solutions. The minor helps students develop a skill set for global citizenship that includes opportunities for advocacy, leadership, and critical problem solving. Students also learn to apply critical thinking skills in addressing hunger as a multi-disciplinary, complex social issue.

A foundational principle of the College of Human Sciences’ Hunger Solutions Institute (HSI) is that hunger is a solvable problem, but only when the relevant knowledge from all academic disciplines is combined with strengths of all sectors. By creating multi-sector partnerships at the community, state, and global levels, HSI shares knowledge and best practices and leverages the power of collective action. HSI educates and mobilizes students to join in the fight against hunger, creates collaborative coalitions to address hunger, and convenes university leaders to prioritize food and nutrition security. HSI brings together experts and practitioners from all disciplines to collectively address hunger and malnutrition.

About 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. is wasted at different stages of the farm-to-fork continuum, amounting to 133 billion pounds annually. This immense food waste occurs while millions of people go hungry. The College of Agriculture’s Amit Morey researches innovative ways to reduce food waste and capture food being wasted to improve food security of people in the United States. Morey’s development of “functional ice,” a product for storage and transportation, will increase food safety while reducing waste for the poultry and seafood industries. Morey’s research could be a game-changer in the fight to minimize food waste and ensure food security.