CNS

Become an Expert in Food & Sustainability

Earn your Certificate

Enroll now

Food & Sustainability ties together several of the most critical issues facing us today: the environmental impacts of food production, the importance of food justice and accessibility, the complexity of international food systems, and most importantly, the positive changes we can make every day with our food choices.

This program is the first of its kind, developed by the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (CNS). CNS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to increasing awareness of the extraordinary impact that food has on the health of our bodies, our communities, and our planet.

Organic farm
Organic farm
  • How to achieve a sustainable lifestyle
  • Understanding and mitigating food waste
  • The environmental impact of global food production
  • New and sustainable approaches to agriculture
  • Community food systems and activism
  • Sustainable business practices
  • And much more
This course is a meaningful investment you can make right now—in yourself, your career, your community, and the health of our growing world.

This one-of-a-kind course is $499 for lifetime access and includes:

Calendar icon

On-Demand

Clock icon

36 Hours of Content

Person reading icon

Self-Paced

Laptop icon

24/7 Access

A woman gardening

This certificate provides invaluable experience and education to anyone intrigued about sustainable agriculture. Whether you are interested in a career in this field or want to deepen your understanding of food systems, public health, global environmental change, or where your food comes from, this program is for you.

A woman gardening

Over 15 nutrition, policy, public health, and environmental thought leaders will guide you through the main sectors of the food system—farming, economic, social, and environmental—and highlight the many interconnections between them. Experts include:

Drew Harvell, PhD

Drew Harvell, PhD

Dr. Harvell is a professor at Cornell University. Her research on the hygiene subsidies of marine ecosystems and damage of marine plastics has taken her from the reefs of Mexico, Indonesia, and Hawaii to the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest and resulted in over 170 academic articles in journals such as Science, Nature, and Ecology.


Raj Patel, PhD

Raj Patel, PhD

Dr. Patel is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and academic. He has testified about the causes of the global food crisis to the US House Financial Services Committee and is a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems.


Malik Yakini

Malik Yakini

Mr. Yakini is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, which operates a seven-acre farm in Detroit. He served as Food and Community Fellow at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy from 2011-2013 and was a Business Alliance for Living Local Economies (BALLE) Localist Fellow from 2014-2015.


Bruce Monger, PhD

Bruce Monger, PhD

Dr. Monger is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University. His research involves the use of satellite remote sensing methods to study environmental controls of ocean primary production at global scales. Dr. Monger received his BA from the University of Washington and his PhD from the University of Hawaii. He currently serves as a member of NASA's Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Science Team.


Emelie Peine, PhD

Emelie Peine, PhD

Dr. Peine is Associate Professor of International Political Economy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. She earned her bachelor's degree from The Evergreen State College and her Master's of Science and PhD in Development Sociology from Cornell University.


Alizé Carrère, MSc

Alizé Carrère, MSc

Ms. Carrère is a National Geographic Explorer, filmmaker, and environmental anthropologist researching and documenting human adaptations to environmental change. Alizé is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Miami in Environmental Anthropology.


Doug Gurian-Sherman, PhD

Doug Gurian-Sherman, PhD

Dr. Gurian-Sherman is a consultant on agriculture with Strategic Expansion and Training, LLC, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He advises civil society coalitions, organizations, and others in the United States and internationally on issues of climate change and agriculture, pesticide alternatives, and genetic engineering. He holds PhD and MS degrees in plant pathology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BS in natural resources from the University of Michigan.


Dan Imhoff, MA

Dan Imhoff, MA

Mr. Imhoff has written for more than 25 years on topics related to ecological sustainability. Dan is the president and co-founder of Watershed Media as well as president and a co-founder of the Wild Farm Alliance, a national organization that works to promote agriculture systems that support and accommodate wild nature. He holds an MA in international relations from Syracuse University and a BA in international relations from Allegheny College.


Peter Lehner, Esq

Peter Lehner, Esq

Mr. Lehner is Managing Attorney of Earthjustice's Sustainable Food & Farming Program, developing strategies to promote a more environmentally sound agricultural system and to reduce health, environmental, and climate harms from production of our food. Peter holds an AB in philosophy and mathematics from Harvard College and is an honors graduate of Columbia University Law School.


David Montgomery, PhD

David Montgomery, PhD

Dr. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. An author of award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered.


Claire O'Connor, JD

Claire O'Connor, JD

Dr. O'Connor is the Director of the Water & Agriculture, Water Division, Nature Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She focuses on the crucial relationship between water and agriculture, emphasizing solutions to water-resource challenges that will benefit both farmers and their non-farming neighbors. O'Connor is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Georgetown University Law Center.


David Simon, Esq

David Simon, Esq

Mr. Simon is the author of Meatonomics and a vegan lawyer, animal activist, and advocate for sustainable consumption. He serves on the advisory council of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and on the boards of Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) and the APRL Fund. Dave received his BA from UC Berkeley and his JD from the University of Southern California.


Tristram Stuart

Tristram Stuart

Mr. Stuart is an international award-winning author, speaker, campaigner, and expert on the environmental and social impacts of food. He is an Ashoka Fellow, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.


Gwyn Whittaker

Gwyn Whittaker

Following a successful decades-long career in IT, Ms. Whittaker became passionate about nutrition and health. She was inspired to provide plant-based jumpstarts, documented in the film PlantPure Nation. She also opened the GreenFare restaurant, bringing organic whole-plant foods to her community. She continues running jumpstart programs with incredible results.


Steven Disla

Steven Disla

Mr. Disla is the instructional designer for the Food & Sustainability course and is a soil food web technician. He is also the co-founder of the RAICES Land Institute in the Dominican Republic, a non-profit that focuses on regenerative agriculture as a way to inspire communities of health. In North Carolina, where he lives, he has a farm with a burgeoning nursery business.


T. Colin Campbell, PhD

T. Colin Campbell, PhD

Dr. Campbell is a Cornell University Professor Emeritus and world-renowned nutritional biochemist. He is the bestselling author of multiple books, including The China Study. Several documentary films feature Dr. Campbell and his research, including the highly acclaimed Forks Over Knives.


LeAnne Campbell, PhD

LeAnne Campbell, PhD

LeAnne Campbell is the CEO of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and Founder of Global Roots, a non-profit that promotes the growth of vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities of health through regenerative land practices. She has over 30 years of experience working with communities, universities, and schools, in the US and abroad.

A vibrant market with fruits and vegetables displayed

Click the topics below for a comprehensive look at the Food & Sustainability certificate program.

This three-course, six-week certificate program will present you with an overview of the main sectors of the food system: farming, economic, social, and environmental. Industry experts and academic thought leaders will guide you through these sectors and highlight the many interconnections between them. You will learn the challenges global food production faces and its impact on natural ecosystems; how domestic and international policy play a role; how innovative individuals and organizations are transforming the food system by prioritizing sustainable practices; and more.

Course Modules

Impact of Food Production on Climate Change

Learn what climate change is and how food choices make a difference. You will be introduced to the food system: a vast web of processes and conditions that allow for food production, processing, distribution, consumption, and more.

Industrial Agriculture

This module focuses on the farming and environmental sectors of the food system. You will survey the most important features of industrial agriculture and learn about their environmental consequences.

Land and Water Use

Look at the use and management of soil and water resources. By the end of this module, you will have a deeper appreciation of their critical importance.

Oceans, Streams, and Waterways

This module will take you deep into the oceans, streams, and waterways of the world. You will learn how the health of the planet is intimately tied to their health.

The Path Forward - Nutrition for People and Planet

Use what you have learned so far to create a working definition of sustainability. You will examine population and food consumption trends, explore the connections between nutrition with sustainability, and think about the ways in which you can personally and collectively address the challenges presented in the previous modules.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Learn the science behind sustainable food choices
  2. Analyze the ecological impact of industrial agriculture
  3. Explore alternatives to our current food production system
  4. Reflect on how personal food choices impact our environment

Course Modules

Rise of the Industrial Food System

Learn about the historical roots of food policy in the US today and the landmark events and policy decisions that define our current food system.

American Food Policy

In this module, you will explore how current food policy impacts food production and consumption in the United States, with a special focus on the Farm Bill and governmental regulatory agencies such as the USDA, the FDA, and the EPA. You will learn how each of these agencies operates within the food system.

Understanding and Mitigating Food Waste

Learn why food waste is one of the most important and widely discussed challenges within the food system. Understanding where waste comes from will empower you to consume more sustainably and advocate for a less wasteful system.

The True Costs of Food

Look into the health, environmental, and social consequences embedded in the journey of food from farm to consumer. By shining a light on inefficiencies in the food system, this module will help you transition toward more sustainable purchasing practices.

Food Accessibility and Food Justice in the US

Understand social challenges within the food system. Despite increased food production, there is still a lack of healthy, affordable food in low-income communities and communities of color, as well as varying disparities in rural localities compared with urban ones. You will explore how this came to be, as well as some of the structural challenges that continue to limit food access.

Globalized Food Systems

Learn about global institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and their influence on the food system. You will also look at international aid policies and the role of the green revolution in exporting industrialized farming methods.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify methods to reduce food waste in your home and community
  2. Examine the impact of government and industry on your dietary choices
  3. Recognize how food policy contributes to an unhealthy and inequitable system
  4. Envision more socially just and equitable solutions for our communities

Course Modules

Approaching Agriculture Differently

Learn about specific farming methods that are more sustainable, as well as their environmental, economic, and social rewards.

Engaging Business Solutions

Consider what sustainability means in the context of business and community solutions, explore alternative business models, and learn about inspiring for-profit and non-profit businesses that are building long-term partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound.

Agriculturally Driven Environmental Regeneration

Learn about tangible ways in which agricultural systems can drive environmental regeneration while providing bountiful harvests for people and biodiverse ecosystems alike.

WFPB Nutrition for Personal, Communal, and Ecological Health

Meet a health care practitioner working to integrate a direct line between sustainably produced food and patient-centered practice. Learn from experts on the power of whole food, plant-based jumpstarts.

Taking Action

The balance between local, regional, national, and global food systems is not simple. There are intricate areas of overlap between these systems and countless ways to engage with them. Likewise, there is no single model for taking action. What we do have are a set of guiding principles. In this module, you will explore these principles and how to apply them to your life.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Meet the people and organizations that are transforming food systems
  2. Evaluate methods for sustainable farming solutions and food distribution
  3. Explore sustainable entrepreneurship and alternative business models
  4. Empower yourself and others to make choices for a more sustainable future

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to educate myself in this area of study. As an alum of the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate course, I now feel that I have started my path to help ensure future generations the guidance needed to help save our planet."

"I've just started Food & Sustainability. This should be required study for all university students. And the message needs to be taught from kindergarten level and up. We need to understand the cost of our food."

"The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies has condensed all of this information into one short certificate program. This is incredibly valuable for anyone wanting to gather enough information to be able to then put the knowledge into action in their community, family and workplaces."

"The certificate is an incredible addition to my experiences and knowledge base. Coming into the program I knew of some issues concerning the impacts of industrial agriculture, but I have learned so much more! It has showed me the power of collective action and has sparked my commitment to re-engage with food policy leaders and educational initiatives in my own community."

❄️ Winter Sale! Get $75 off now with code FOOD75 ❄️

Enroll now

Still have questions? Contact us here