The Slow Food USA Blog

New Groundbreaking EcoGastronomy Program at UNH

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by Slow Food USA staffer Julia Middleton

Are you interested in the science behind where your food comes from, how it is grown and the new organic food movement?  Do you have a passion for business and food and need a way to connect the two in your academics?  Have you considered the cultural significance of food in different societies?  These questions and many more can be explored in the new dual major EcoGastronomy Program offered at the University of New Hampshire.

As fall begins and a new school year is underway, the University of New Hampshire has unveiled its new dual major EcoGastronomy Program.  Students in the program will take an integrated approach to their education by complementing their primary major with a combination of hands on learning, practical skills training and international study opportunities.  The EcoGastronomy Program includes 5 required courses, one elective and 15 credits from the University of Gastronomic Sciences, which will continue to nurture the relationship between the program and Slow Food.

The University of New Hampshire’s EcoGastronomy Program has had a special relationship with Slow Food as the program was inspired by a visit from Carlo Petrini in 2006.  After he was presented with an honorary degree at the University, faculty and staff from the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the Whittemore Schools of Business and Economics and the University Office of Sustainability came together to develop the core curriculum and plan of study for this new degree.  The relationship with Slow Food has continued as students at the University of New Hampshire worked together to start a now thriving Slow Food chapter on Campus. 

University students across the country are responding to a heightened awareness of food in society by demanding dual degree programs, study abroad opportunities and seminars with a focus on food issues locally, nationally and internationally.  Congratulations to the University of New Hampshire and the other institutions here and abroad that are working to make educational opportunities available to students, and thus informing the next generation about ways to make good, clean and fair food available to everyone.