Adapted in a wide range of disciplinary contexts to describe an era in which humanity has profoundly transformed earth systems, the Anthropocene has also been used to come to terms with how the resulting changes to earth’s climate, ecologies and biologies are affecting global and local contexts for …
Sustainable Food
The global food system is now facing the need to deliver a sustainable supply of nutritious food for more than 9 billion people by 2050 while minimizing environmental impacts, sustaining biodiversity and adapting to climate crisis. UCSC faculty are researching agroecological strategies and methods …
Agroecology
Agroecology is the integrative study of the entire food system, encompassing ecological, economic and social dimensions. In order to create an ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just food system, agroecology must integrate science and research, technology and practices, indigenous …
Environmental Health
Environmental health refers to the area of public health that aims to identify environmental hazards and examine how they are shaped by physical, chemical, biological, social, and structural factors. These hazards can be evaluated at the global scale (e.g., climate change) as well as from regional …
Community Gardens
Community gardens are communal spaces where gardeners cultivate flowers, fruits, medicinal plants, and vegetables. They vary in size, location and types of community tenure. The central motivation of many gardeners is often food production, but community gardens contribute to other diverse goals …
