Click the links below to read about current research being conducted by CRFS scholars and our affiliates.
The Future of Food and Social Justice: A Youth Storytelling Project
This year, with a commitment to fulfilling UArizona’s obligations as a land grant and Hispanic-serving institution, the Center for Regional Food Studies launched “The Future of Food and Social Justice: A Youth Storytelling Project.” Guided by a diverse steering committee of food activists and scholars, this paid internship program is dedicated to creating food justice stories with, for, and by young people and their communities. We look to the power of storytelling to disrupt dominant food narratives and support historically underrepresented populations in achieving greater recognition and agency in their pursuit of food justice. The program pairs interns with a food justice mentor, provides bimonthly mentorship circles, and offers monthly workshops to train students in food justice and multimedia storytelling. To read and learn more about each of our fantastic mentors and interns please click here.
Food Systems Research Lab
The Food Systems Research Lab at the University of Arizona is a collaboration between the Center for Regional Food Studies (CRFS) and the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS), two research centers dedicating to producing usable knowledge to address complex societal challenges. Led by Drs. Laurel Bellante (CRFS) and Gigi Owen (CLIMAS), the Lab is a rotating group of geographers, anthropologists, food system practitioners, and other researchers and community collaborators dedicated to creating positive change in the local and regional food systems of southern Arizona.