Food Studies, the next food frontier
From climate change and food waste to a growing food insecurity crisis, understanding the "how" and "why" of our food system has never been more important.
Students in Australia's only Bachelor of Food Studies are pursuing their passion for food and making it their mission to be part of the solution in the transition to a healthier, fairer and more sustainable food system. Bachelor of Food Studies Course Coordinator, Dr Kelly Donati, explains why the program is crucial right now and for our food future. "We face many complex challenges about how we feed ourselves well, in the twenty-first century. Responding to these challenges requires graduates who understand these complexities," says Dr Donati.
This unique food studies program empowers students to develop their research and analytical skills but also to become impactful communicators. Students are encouraged to develop their "food voice" through visual storytelling, creative non-fiction, and letters to the editor. At the same time, they learn to translate food systems research into knowledge and stories relevant to government, industry and the broader community.
"We support our students to understand how they can create positive change in the food system and find ways to craft a better world through food," explains Dr Donati.
A group of Angliss graduates and students -- Savannah Supski, Patrick McMillin, Carol Perdigão, Amy Tacey, Persia Hethorn Faulkner, and Carl Watson -- have done exactly that, founding the not-for-profit Just Food Collective (JFC) in 2021. JFC’s President Carol Perdigão says, “We wanted to apply the knowledge we had built throughout the course in a constructive way that moves us towards a better food system than the one we have today. Seeing our collective grow from the excited chats in our early meetings to real, impactful projects has been empowering. We are so proud of all we have achieved, the skills we’ve gained and the network we’ve built.”
The team behind JFC is quickly becoming the next generation of food system leaders, educators and storytellers. In collaboration with Sustain: the Australian Food Network, they have just wrapped up their Vic-Health funded Youth World Food Garden project, creating a series of food justice (the principal that everyone should have equal access to good food) workshops for young people at Sustain's Oakhill Food Justice Farm in Preston, along with a short film to capture their journey. JFC recently received a substantial grant from the City of Melbourne for their next project - watch this space!
Savannah Supski describes her experience of the Bachelor of Food Studies as nothing less than life-changing: "The most important lesson has been to never lose hope. The degree taught us what we, our communities, the government, and corporations can do to create a fair and sustainable food system. There is hope because the answers are already there."
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| Why study the Bachelor of Food Studies? | |
| Surround yourself with like-minded people | You'll study with other students who are driven by their love of food and desire to create positive change, just like you. Through the program, you'll meet farmers, food artisans, policy-makers, community food project coordinators and others who are also passionate about food system transformation. You'll cultivate the industry connections you make in excursions, guest lectures and events. Whatever your passions or skills, there's a place for you in the program. |
| Develop skills you can take anywhere | You'll develop generalist skills that are essential in any professional environment: strong written and verbal communication, a sharp analytical approach, self-motivation and the ability to learn quickly. These are professional and personal qualities that employers are looking for. These generalist skills, combined with a deep understanding of food systems, is what makes our food studies graduates stand-out candidates in the job market. |
| See where your qualification can take you | Our food studies lecturers have strong connections in the food industry and community food sector. They love finding opportunities to connect students with the people and projects that will help them carve out a space in Melbourne's lively food community.
Our alumni have used their degrees to gain employment in a broad range of roles and sectors. You'll find our graduates managing farmers markets, coordinating food hubs and working as research assistants. Some graduates have applied their degree to roles in local government supporting food relief initiatives or engaging young people in community storytelling projects. While more local governments are developing food and urban agriculture strategies, there has never been a better time to be a food studies graduate. |
