Student food security has been a growing concern on college campuses and some would say a canary or signal of broader equity issues at play. In the state of California, the high cost of living and the rise in college tuition and fees has made student access to affordable and healthy food a social justice issue.
In January 2015, the UC Global Food Initiative’s Food Access and Security Subcommittee campus leaders hosted the First Annual California Higher Education Food Summit at the University of California, Santa Barbara to bridge the conversation of food access, equity, and justice among community members, students, staff, and faculty across California’s higher education systems.
The University of California, Irvine will be hosting the 2nd Annual CHEFS to advance statewide food access, security, and equity efforts while Uniting Communities Through Food Justice. We hope to accomplish our goals through awareness, understanding, and action.