Values and Vision

Creating more sustainable and equitable communities by solving food systems challenges

At the Food Systems Institute, we’re committed to solving intractable problems that shape the way individuals raise, exchange, and enjoy food. We know by continuing to improve our food systems, we’ll help to create the sustainable planet, good jobs and healthy communities we all seek.

What does this mean?

Whether we know it or not, food systems have an outsized impact on the quality of our lives and communities.

Food systems drive global economies and individual jobs. They affect ecosystems. They influence and change the character of communities and help to create culture and heritage. They bear directly on the health and wellness of our individual and collective lives. And they must evolve to meet the challenges of the future.

How will the Food Systems Institute help?

We serve as a catalyst for change, a place where everyone with a stake in the future of food systems is welcome join us in creating solutions based in science and practice. We’ll achieve this ambitious goal in three important ways: 

  • We’ll engage communities to identify ongoing challenges and stubborn problems. Working with those communities and the resources of campus and Extension, we’ll ensure that solutions will have immediate application and impact.  
  • We’ll bring diverse voices to the table to tackle issues. In the process, we’ll break down barriers between disciplines, partners, communities, and food system sectors to create holistic interventions and system-level outcomes.  
  • We’ll engage students as we bring to bear innovative approaches to transdisciplinary research as well as new and novel sources of data. This will create cutting edge scholarship and problem solving while building new generations of food systems leaders and thinkers.  

CSU Land Acknowledgment

Colorado State University acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. This was also a site of trade, gathering, and healing for numerous other Native tribes. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. As these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, the ties Nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed.

CSU is founded as a land-grant institution, and we accept that our mission must encompass access to education and inclusion. And, significantly, that our founding came at a dire cost to Native Nations and peoples whose land this University was built upon. This acknowledgment is the education and inclusion we must practice in recognizing our institutional history, responsibility, and commitment.

Our Food System Community

Staff

CSU Extension Community

Stephen Lauer

Regional Specialist
Agriculture and Food
Southern Region
View Spotlight

Derek Lowstuter

Regional Specialist
Agriculture and Food
Mountain Region
View Spotlight

Students

Alyssa Johnson

Ph.D. student
Department of Sociology

Partner organizations and institutes

Faculty Partners

First NameLast NameDepartmentCollegeTitleEmail
Jason AholaDepartment of Animal SciencesAssistant Professorjason.ahola@colostate.edu
Garry AuldFood Science & Human NutritionEmeritus Professorgarry.auld@colostate.edu
SusanBakerFood Science & Human NutritionProfessor and Extension Specialistsusan.baker@colostate.edu
Mike BartoloDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecturemichael.bartolo@colostate.edu
Jenny BennettDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsInstructorjennifer.bennett@colostate.edu
Joshua BerningDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsAssociate Professorjoshua.berning@colostate.edu
Christopher BerryMarketingBusiness Assistant Professorchris.berry@colostate.edu
LibbyBiglerDepartment of Animal SciencesBQA coordinatorlibby.bigler@colostate.edu
AlessandroBonannoDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsAssociate Professor of Agricultural Economicsalessandro.bonanno@colostate.edu
Randy BooneEcosystem Science and SustainabilityProfessorrandall.boone@colostate.edu
Jennifer BousselotDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecturejennifer.bousselot@colostate.edu
Marisa BunningFood Science & Human NutritionProfessormarisa.bunning@colostate.edu
MichaelCarolanDepartment of Sociology College of Liberal ArtsProfessor and Research Associate Deanmichael.carolan@colostate.edu
GamzeCavdarPolitical ScienceAssociate Professor Gamze.Cavdar@colostate.edu
CarrieChenaultDepartment of Anthropology & GeographyCarrie.Chennault@colostate.edu
HayleyChouinardDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsProfessorhayley.chouinard@colostate.edu
LibbyChristensenDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesResearch Scientist, Food System Recovery and Resilience Project Managerlibby.christensen@colostate.edu
Nathan Clark Department of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsInstructornathan.clark@colostate.edu
Rebecca ClearyDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesAssistant Professorrebecca.cleary@colostate.edu
JessicaCliffordFood Science & Human NutritionExtension Specialistjessica.clifford@colostate.edu
Rich ConantDepartment of Ecosystem Science and SustainabilityProfessorrich.conant@colostate.edu
Marco CostanigroDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesAssociate Professormarco.costanigro@colostate.edu
AmandaCountrymanDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesAssociate Professoramanda.countryman@colostate.edu
KimCox-YorkFood Science & Human NutritionAssistant Professorkimberly.cox-york@colostate.edu
Josh CraverDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecturejoshua.craver@colostate.edu
JessicaDavisDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecturejessica.davis@colostate.edu
RobertDelmoreDepartment of Animal SciencesProfessorrobert.delmore@colostate.edu
LynnDelmoreDepartment of Animal SciencesInstructorlynn.delmore@colostate.edu
JasmineDillonDepartment of Animal SciencesAssistant Professorjasmine.dillon@colostate.edu
JasonDowningSociologySenior Instructorjason.downing@colostate.edu
LilyEdwards-CallawayDepartment of Animal SciencesAssistant Professorlily.edwards-callaway@colostate.edu
AdrianeElliotSoil and Crop Sciences College of Agricultural SciencesInstructoradriane.elliot@colostate.edu
KellieEnnsDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economicskellie.enns@colostate.edu
MariaFernandez-GimenezForesty and Rangeland StewardshipEmeritus Professormaria.fernandez-gimenez@colostate.edu
StevenFonteSoil and Crop Sciences College of Agricultural SciencesAssociate ProfessorSteven.Fonte@colostate.edu
KathleenGalvin AnthropologyProfessorKathleen.Galvin@colostate.edu
Chris GentileFood Science & Human NutritionAssociate Professorchristopher.gentile@colostate.edu
GregoryGraffDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesAssociate Professorgregory.graff@colostate.edu
Dan GrahamPsychologyAssociate Professor dan.graham@colostate.edu
Rebecca GrubyHuman Dimensions of Natural ResourcesAssociate Professorrebecca.gruby@colostate.edu
Heidi HausermannGeographyAssistant ProfessorHeidi.Hausermann@colostate.edu
Adam HeubergerDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architectureadam.heuberger@colostate.edu
AlexandraHillDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsAssistant ProfessorAlexandra.E.Hill@colostate.edu
Rebecca HillDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsResearch ScientistRebec.L.Hill@gmail.com
DanaHoagDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsProfessordana.hoag@colostate.edu
Becca JablonskiDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesAssistant Professor and Extension Economist-Food Systemsbecca.jablonski@colostate.edu
Kevin JablonskiDepartment of Animal SciencesRangeland Livestock Systems Extension Specialist, Asst Professorkevin.jablonski@colostate.edu
JaimeJacobsenJournalism and Media CommunicationAssistant Professorjaime.jacobsen@colostate.edu
AndrewJonesCooperative Institute For Research in the Atmosphere Senior Research ScientistAndrew.S.Jones@colostate.edu
Stephen KoontzDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsProfessorstephen.koontz@colostate.edu
AnnaLavoieHuman Dimensions of Natural Resourcesanna.lavoie@colostate.edu
JohnLindenbaumGeographyAssociate Teaching ProfessorJohn.Lindenbaum@colostate.edu
JessieLunaSociologyAssistant ProfessorJessie.Luna@colostate.edu
Jennifer MartinDepartment of Animal Sciencesjennifer.martin@colostate.edu
DavidMcivorPolitical ScienceLib ArtsAssociate ProfessorDavid.mcivor@colostate.edu
AmandaMcquadeCollege of Ag SciencesProgram coordinatoramanda.mcquade@colostate.edu
ChrisMelbyFood Science & Human NutritionProfessor and Interim Headchris.melby@colostate.edu
EricMilhollandFood Science & Human NutritionAssistant Professoreric.milholland@colostate.edu
JeffMillerFood Science & Human NutritionAssociate Professorjeffrey.miller@colostate.edu
Gina Slejko MarketingBusiness Associate Professorgina.slejko@colostate.edu
Dan MooneyDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsAssistant Professordaniel.mooney@colostate.edu
Brad MorganDepartment of Animal Sciencesbrad.morgan@colostate.edu
NathanMuellerSoil and Crop Sciences College of Agricultural SciencesAssistant ProfessorNathan.Mueller@ColoState.edu
Megan MuellerFood Science & Human NutritionAssistant Professormegan.mueller@colostate.edu
MaheshNairDepartment of Animal SciencesAssociate Professormnair@colostate.edu
StephenOgleEcosystem Science and Sustainabilitystephen.ogle@colostate.edu
MikePagliassotti Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition College of Health and Human ServicesDepartment Head, Professor and Lillian Fountain Smith Endowed Chair in Nutritionmichael.pagliassotti@colostate.edu
Keith PaustianSoil and Crop Sciences College of Agricultural SciencesProfessorKeith.Paustian@ColoState.edu
JamesPethFood Science & Human NutritionAssistant Professorjames.peth@colostate.edu
JasonQuinnMechanical EngineeringAssociate Professorjason.quinn@colostate.edu
LauraRaynoldsSociologyProfessorLaura.Raynolds@colostate.edu
RyanRhoadesDepartment of Animal SciencesAssistant Professorryan.rhoades@colostate.edu
Elizabeth RyanCollege of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical SciencesAssociate Professor-Toxicologye.p.ryan@colostate.edu
JonSalernoHuman Dimensions of Natural Resourcesjonathan.salerno@colostate.edu
Joshua SbiccaDepartment of SociologyAssociate Professorj.sbicca@colostate.edu
MeaganSchipanskiSoil and Crop Sciences College of Agricultural SciencesAssistant ProfessorMeagan.Schipanski@colostate.edu
LindseySchneiderEthnic StudiesAssistant Professorlindsey.schneider@colostate.edu
KimStackhouse-LawsonDepartment of Animal Scienceskim.stackhouse-lawson@colostate.edu
LorannStallonesDepartment of PsychologyProfessor, CICRC DirectorLorann.Stallones@colostate.edu
Dawn ThilmanyDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics College of Agricultural SciencesProfessor, Agricultural and Resource Economics; Co-Director Regional Economic Development Insitutedawn.thilmany@colostate.edu
HenryThompsonDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape Architecturehenry.thompson@colostate.edu
MarkUchanskiDepartment of Horticulture and Landscape ArchitectureSpecialty Crops Program Coordinator, Associate Professormark.uchanski@colostate.edu
MatthewWallensteinNatural Resource Ecology Lab Warner College of Natural ResourcesAssociate Professormatthew.wallenstein@colostate.edu
DessaWatsonDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsInstructorDessa.Linsley@ColoState.EDU
Stephan WeilerEconomicsProfessorStephan.Weiler@ColoState.EDU
TiffanyWeirFood Science & Human NutritionAssociate Professortiffany.weir@colostate.edu

Annual Report

Download 2022 Annual Report

The Governor-appointed Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council’s charge is to advance recommendations that strengthen healthy food access for all Coloradans through Colorado agriculture and local food systems and economies.

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Colorado State University Extension is an equal opportunity provider. | Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. | CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension ensures meaningful access and equal opportunities to participate to individuals whose first language is not English.

Colorado State University Extension es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. | Colorado State University no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad y se compromete a proporcionar adaptaciones razonables. | Office of Engagement and Extension de CSU garantiza acceso significativo e igualdad de oportunidades para participar a las personas quienes su primer idioma no es el inglés.

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