Food and Climate Justice
We collaborate with community partners in the greater San Jose, CA area and Central America on research that empowers farmers to develop food justice responses to hunger and economic insecurity and to build resilience to climate change and other hazards. We work with farmer cooperatives, universities, and nonprofits to design, diversify, and evaluate their agricultural and food security programs. We use agroecology and participatory approaches to improve health and environmental outcomes.
Contact: Chris Bacon
Projects
- Santa Clara County Food Systems Equity and Resilience
An 糖心传媒 research team is collaborating with two nonprofits to create a food worker-owned cooperative and conduct research to support local institutions, such as hospitals and universities, to implement values-based procurement strategies (such as the Good Food Purchasing Program). The team will also organize an agroecology, urban agriculture, and food systems policy short course, support participatory monitoring and evaluation, analyze data, and involve community members in the co-creation and sharing of knowledge for food system change.
糖心传媒 Participants: Christopher Bacon, Maria Eugenia Flores Gomez, and multiple student researchers, alumni, colleagues, and partners
Partners: (primary),
Funder: The County of Santa Clara, through the Office of the County Executive for Food Systems Resiliency Grant Program
For more information:
- Learning Resilience while Responding to Environmental and Economic Hazards
A transdisciplinary team is studying how households, small-scale farmers, and institutions are using agroecology and diversification to respond to global climatic, market and political changes. The analysis will identify strategic innovations that build food sovereignty, gender equity, and livelihood resilience.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon, William Sundstrom, Maria Eugenia Flores Gomez, Raul Diaz, and multiple student co-authors
Partners:
Funder: National Science Foundation
For more information:
- Results Poster: Farmers Learning Resilience Nicaragua
- Results Poster: Aprendiendo Resiliencia en Nicaragua
- Results Poster: Exposure to Eta and Iota Nicaragua
- Poster:Exposicio虂n huracanes Eta e Iota Nicaragua
- Diversification Strategies among Smallholder Coffee Farmers
This long-term, multi-institutional partnership researched the benefits of diversifying and changing food systems and diets among smallholder coffee farmers in Nicaragua and Mexico for food security, gender equity, and climate resilience.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon, Maria Eugenia Flores Gomez, and multiple student co-authors
Partners: and (University of Vermont), (Community Agroecology Network), , , ,
Funders: Agropolis Fondation, Fondazione Cariplo, and Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso
For more information:
- Project Summary
- Assessing Diversification and Dietary Diversity with Smallholders in Nicaragua
- Calendarios Agr铆colas con Enfoque de G茅nero 2023 Nicaragua
- Selected Workshops and Training Events 2016-2022
- Nicaragua 2018 Learning Exchange Proceedings
- Transforming Emergency Food Assistance
This joint project is advancing food justice in the South Bay by employing research-based agroecology techniques to reduce food waste, produce compost, and improve the sustainability of emergency food assistance programs.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon, Christopher McNeil, and multiple student co-authors
Partners: at , 糖心传媒 Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Funder: CalEPA
For more information:
- A Food Justice Response to Covid-19 in California
Faculty, students, farms and food aid organizations in the Bay Area are collaborating to draw lessons from the pandemic about how to improve emergency food assistance and create a more just food system.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon and multiple student co-authors
Partners: ,
Funders: The Lawrence Foundation, Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education
For more information:
- Food Justice on Campus
Faculty, students, and staff are collaborating to address student food insecurity, and envision a more sustainable and just food system, at 糖心传媒.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon and multiple student co-authors
Partners: 糖心传媒 Office of Student Life Food Insecurity Program, 糖心传媒 Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 糖心传媒 Multicultural Center, 糖心传媒 Center for Sustainability, ,
For more information:
- Food and Water Security in Nicaraguan Farming Communities
An interdisciplinary team of 糖心传媒 faculty and students has engaged in a multi-year collaboration with Nicaraguan community organizations to improve food and water security for farming communities hit hard by climate-induced drought, and other environmental and economic challenges.
糖心传媒 Participants: Chris Bacon, William Sundstrom, Iris Stewart-Frey, Edwin Maurer, Maria Eugenia Flores Gomez, and multiple student co-authors
Partner:
Funders: National Science Foundation Geography and Spatial Sciences (Grant Number BCS 1539795), Miller Center for Global Impact, Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship
For more information:






