Online Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate

This sustainable food systems certificate online explores the social, political, economic and environmental factors that impact food systems. Courses focus on the policies governing food systems and how these policies shape the way our food is grown and distributed. This program operates with four primary goals for the next generation of food policy leaders:

• Provide an in-depth understanding of present-day health, agriculture and environment policy and how it came to be.
• Deliver training on the strategic elements of a policy and agenda-setting campaign.
• Apply the new knowledge and skills to real-world policy problems.
• Gain access to a prominent and influential network of food and agriculture policy leaders and mentors.

Gain the skills needed to lead a sustainable food system transformation

This sustainable food systems certificate online empowers you to become a leader in the next generation of food policymakers. Through your coursework, you'll gain a panoramic, interconnected understanding of food policy, including:

• U.S. federal and state policymaking, including legislative, rulemaking, budgetary and legal processes.
• History and operational knowledge of food-related government agencies and global institutions.
• The impact of U.S. federal and state agencies and global institutions on food systems.
• The interconnected social, political, economic and ecological factors that influence food systems.
• Integration of sustainability, policy and science issues, and major food and agricultural actors.
• Strategies to achieve food system policy and transformation.

This sustainable food systems certificate online includes two one-week-long, in-person immersion experiences located in Arizona and Washington D.C. During the Arizona immersion experience, you’ll explore the farms, ranches and supply chain businesses affected by changes in food policy. The second immersion experience, in Washington, D.C., builds leadership skills and includes sessions with food policy leaders from a variety of sectors.

What can I do with a certificate in food policy and sustainability leadership?

The food and agriculture sector is changing in exciting ways, creating demand for professionals who understand the complex interconnections between food, natural resources, policy, economic opportunity and social equity. As a food policy expert, you’ll have the opportunity to work at some of the most important organizations shaping the nation’s food systems. You can find food and sustainability-related jobs in government, businesses and nonprofits. In many of these positions, you’ll be crafting and advocating for food policy solutions that improve public health and environmental conservation.