This annual uniquely UC Berkeley course, now in its eighth year, explores the future of food, its diverse systems and movements. Edible Education 101 is a two-credit weekly lecture series that brings renowned experts—leading academics and practitioners—to campus to share their visions, research, and experiences about food and its critical role in our culture, well-being and survival. The food system is a complex web of interconnected relationships and disciplines. It is also estimated to be at least a $12 trillion dollar business globally. The way food tastes, is produced, distributed and eaten has everything to do with our personal, public and planetary health and sustainability. Edible Education 101 reveals the systematic links between agroecology, agronomy, anthropology, biology, business, cooking, economics, nutrition, philosophy, policy, sociology, technology and the arts. Past lecture topics have included organic agriculture, school lunch reform, food safety, hunger and food security, global inequities in food, chef-seed breeder collaborations, urban agriculture, food sovereignty, and local food economies.
This course is different each year it is offered, keeping the content fresh and unique. It is a special co-creation of the faculty, student learners, and distinguished guests who bring their perspectives and passions to the course in ways intended to inform and inspire you. At EE 101, the class sessions and readings aim to guide you to develop food-systems intelligence—a personal understanding of how the diverse facets of the food system relate and depend on one another, especially one's own role as a participant in the food system and how individual and collective choices, actions and behaviors affect it. We’d like to see our next generation of eaters and leaders develop consciousness and intention as “systems actors” and systems thinkers.

Food Innovation Studio is a two-unit course that enables graduate business school students (and related graduate students and professionals in diverse disciplines including food science, engineering, public health, environmental studies, law, and computer science) to identify, define and solve novel and pressing challenges and unmet needs in the broader food-system. Learners develop insights into the systemic interdepencies that impact personal health and planetary sustainability and work to conceive, test and launch high impact, market-based solutions. The course emphasizes mission-driven business designs that not only create competitive financial outcomes, but positive social and environmental impact as well. The course supports teams of learners to develop an innovation or new venture using a rapid, lean entrepreneurial process. The disciplines of human-centered design, lean-launch, rapid prototyping, business model development, venture formation and venture pitch-presentation are blended into an accelerated experiential learning program over 11 weeks. The course also attracts leading food industry leaders and entrepreneurs as guest speakers and mentors. The actual course topics and projects are originated and chosen by the student teams.

Food Innovation Studio is a two-unit course that enables graduate business school students (and related graduate students and professionals in diverse disciplines including food science, engineering, public health, environmental studies, law, and computer science) to identify, define and solve novel and pressing challenges and unmet needs in the broader food-system. Learners develop insights into the systemic interdepencies that impact personal health and planetary sustainability and work to conceive, test and launch high impact, market-based solutions. The course emphasizes mission-driven business designs that not only create competitive financial outcomes, but positive social and environmental impact as well. The course supports teams of learners to develop an innovation or new venture using a rapid, lean entrepreneurial process. The disciplines of human-centered design, lean-launch, rapid prototyping, business model development, venture formation and venture pitch-presentation are blended into an accelerated experiential learning program over 11 weeks. The course also attracts leading food industry leaders and entrepreneurs as guest speakers and mentors. The actual course topics and projects are originated and chosen by the student teams.

The Business of Food is inspired by UC Berkeley’s Food Innovation Studio and Edible Education 101 courses. It draws on Seth Godin’s innovative Akimbo approach to education. This course is a co-creation of Will Rosenzweig, student learners and industry expert guests, who bring their perspectives and passions to the workshop in ways intended to inform and inspire you to bridge innovation and purpose through your business. We open the door for you, but it’s the cohorts of students that drive it forward. With The Business of Food, the class sessions and discussion board will guide you to developing food-systems intelligence—a personal understanding of how the diverse facets of the food system relate and depend on one another, especially one's own role as a participant in the food system and how one's choices, actions and behaviors affect it. We’d like to see our next generation of eaters and leaders develop consciousness and intention as “systems actors” and systems thinkers. The class brings cutting edge thought leadership and case studies to life, while giving you a forum to pressure test your ideas with a group of diverse and talented peers. We will highlight evidence-based innovations and entrepreneurial solutions throughout the course and invite students to formulate solutions and plans at an individual, local, regional, national and global scale. The course emphasizes mission-driven venture designs that not only create competitive business outcomes, but positive social and environmental impact as well.