50 years of Food and Farm Studies at Huxley: From Ernst Gayden's Human Ecology to FoodWISE Agroecology

Archived Video of this talk.

Gigi will offer a respectful tour of the iconic Ernst Gayden's work—begun about 50 years ago—and legacy at Huxley College, and then talk about her food and farm work (started 25 years ago) at Huxley. She'll talk about her efforts to write science in an accessible way, as evidenced in her award-winning FoodWISE; WISE is an acronym for Whole, Informed, Sustainable, and Experience. She'll talk about fierce food beliefs, offer practical guidance for making food choices, and debunk some questionable science behind popular food trends to question how we think about healthy, enjoyable, and socially conscious cuisine

About the Speaker

Gigi Berardi
Gigi Berardi
Professor, Huxley College of the Environment, WWU

Dr. Gigi Berardi received her BA in biology with high honors from John Muir College, University of California San Diego and her MS and PhD in Resources, Policy, and Planning from Cornell University. She holds a MA in dance/World Arts and Cultures from UCLA. She is now professor (after 11 years as chair of the Department of Environmental Studies) at Huxley College, Western Washington University, where she focuses on community vulnerabilities, agroecology, and food system sustainability. Her work has appeared in outlets including the LA Times, the Anchorage Daily News, BioScience among others. She teaches courses in writing, history and philosophy of science, sustainable agriculture, business & sustainability, the art & science of cheese, and eco-gastronomy. She shepherds a handful of dairy sheep and makes cheese. Her most recent book, FoodWISE, has been endorsed by over 30 food scholars and food thought-leaders (including food journalists Michael Pollan and Pulitzer awardee Michael Moss) and has been  listed as one of “19 reads that inspire us and challenge us to be better activists, environmentalists, cooks, policymakers, protectors of the planet, farmers, supporters of pollinators and advocates for a better food system” (Forbes.com). In September, it received a silver medal, Living Now Book Awards.

Environmental Speaker Series

The Environmental Speaker Series is hosted by the College of the Environment at Western Washington University.

The Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30 pm in Academic Instructional Center West room 204 - AW-204. Talks will also be streamed via zoom. Register with the Alumni Association for the zoom link. Paid parking is available in lot C.

Learn more about the Environmental Speaker Series
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