FIGC is open to Berkeley masters and doctoral students interested in food systems issues. It is explicitly described as a cross-disciplinary hub, so no specific department or major is required.

What is the annual Food Systems Conference?

FIGC organizes a yearly public conference co-sponsored by the Berkeley Food Institute. Past conferences have explored themes like diasporic foods, Indigenous and Black food sovereignty, and food as resistance. Registration has been free and open to all attendees.

How do I get involved or stay informed?

You can sign up for the FIGC Listserv by filling out a Google Form linked on the website, or email contact@figc.berkeley.edu with any questions.

Does FIGC have a role in shaping UC Berkeley's food programs?

Yes. FIGC helps inform the Berkeley Food Institute's work by providing guidance on UC Berkeley's student-related food systems programs.

Food Institute Graduate Council at Berkeley

Q: What is the Land and Agrifood Research Collective?

It is a recurring FIGC gathering where members convene to discuss and present literature and research related to food and agriculture.

Environmental/Sustainability·Research·Community Service/Nonprofit·Education

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FIGC is a cross-disciplinary hub for Berkeley masters and doctoral students interested in food systems issues. Members attend a running lunch and speaker series with guest professors, join cooking project workshops in the Berkeley Teaching Kitchen, volunteer on farms, and participate in monthly membership meetings. FIGC also organizes an annual Food Systems Conference open to the public, with past themes spanning diasporic foods, Indigenous foodways, and food justice.

Events They Host

Food as Resistance: Challenging Inequity and Building Pathways to Just Food Systems (6th Annual FIGC Food Systems Conference, 2026)

Brought together farmers, organizers, community leaders, chefs, and students to explore pathways to just food systems, with themes around food as resistance, mutual aid kitchens, land defense, and abolitionist foodways.

Diasporic Foods: An exploration of ongoing food relationships and connections (4th Annual FIGC Food Systems Conference, 2024)

Free and open to all. Panels covered diasporic food sharing practices, migration narratives, cultural preservation, and food and wellbeing. Keynote by Rupa Marya, MD.

Food Futures: Ancestral and Contemporary Methods for Transforming Food Systems (3rd Annual FIGC Food Systems Conference, 2023)

Free to all participants. Topics included Indigenous and Black futurities, agroecology, and decolonizing food systems. Keynote speakers included Laura Harjo and Charisma Acey.

Food Relatives: Decolonizing and Indigenizing the Global Food System (2nd Annual FIGC Food Systems Conference, 2022)

Free to all participants. Focused on colonization, heteropatriarchy, and capitalism in global food systems, with panels on Indigenous food systems, food liberation, and transnational food politics.

Biomigrations: Food Sovereignty, Security, and Justice in the Americas (1st Annual FIGC Food Systems Conference, 2021)

Focused on food sovereignty, food security, and food justice through Indigenous and Black knowledge, people, and lands.

Running Lunch and Speaker Series

Recurring series with guest professors held during the semester.

Member Experiences

Monthly Membership Meetings

Held during the semester for FIGC members.

Cooking Project Workshops in the Berkeley Teaching Kitchen

Hands-on cooking workshops held during the semester for members.

Farm Volunteer Days

On-farm volunteer opportunities held during the semester.

Land and Agrifood Research Collective

Members convene to discuss and present literature and research related to food and agriculture.