Plant Futures at Berkeley
Environmental/Sustainability·Education·Community Service/Nonprofit·Research·Health/Wellness
Plant Futures at Berkeley is a chapter of a global student movement working toward a plant-centered food system. Founded at UC Berkeley by a public health graduate student, it connects members to food systems education, career development, and culture change activism. Members host campus events, take accredited online courses like 'Foundations of a Plant-Centered Future,' drive dining hall procurement shifts, and join a network of 110+ university chapters working across climate, health, and food justice.
110
Universities in chapter network
40
Network geographic reach (U.S. states)
2021
Year founded
8
Foundations of a Plant-Centered Future course length (in weeks)
140+
Student-led events across Jan–Feb 2026
75
UC-wide course student count (Spring 2026), from 9 UC campuses
Events They Host
Flavor Madness
Bracket-style cooking tournament across 17+ Plant Futures chapters nationwide in March, partnered with Impossible Foods. Chapters compete by posting plant-based game-day recipes on Instagram; the chapter with the most engagement advances each round.
Sustainable Food Futures Fair (UCLA chapter)
Annual career fair featuring 20+ companies and 100+ attendees, including a mentorship roundtable and networking mixer. The November 2025 edition also marked the launch of the Career and Mentorship Program.
Earth Week Events
40+ events across ~30 campuses during Earth Week 2026, reaching 1,000+ students. Included partnerships with Fruit Riot, Cocojune, and Flackers.
Plantchella
A fully plant-based farm music festival described as having 'serious Woodstock energy,' held during spring 2026.
Plant Futures Summit (Washington, D.C.)
First-ever regional Plant Futures Summit in January 2025 brought 80 students from 10 universities together in Washington, D.C. to exchange ideas and explore food systems career pathways.
'Plate to Planet' meetup at SXSW
Plant Futures hosted a meetup at SXSW in Q1 2026 connecting food systems and sustainability communities at the festival.
Food Day at Climate Week NYC
Plant Futures staff attended and recapped Food Day at Climate Week NYC, covering sessions on food systems transformation in healthcare, university campuses, and cultural narratives.
GreenBiz 2026
Plant Futures attended GreenBiz 2026 to connect campus food systems work to corporate sustainability leaders and conduct interviews on sustainability careers.
AVA Africa Summit, Nairobi
Plant Futures attended the first-ever AVA Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, where 240 advocates from 37 countries gathered on animal advocacy, food justice, health, and human rights.
Lollapalooza press coverage
Plant Futures joined the press at Lollapalooza in Chicago to cover sustainability activations, the dedicated 'Plant-Base' food section, and artist interviews on food and climate.
Outside Lands press coverage
Plant Futures joined the press at Outside Lands in San Francisco to cover plant-based food trends and sustainability efforts at the festival.
Member Experiences
Harvest Moon Celebration (Northern Illinois University chapter)
Community meal event at St. Paul's Episcopal Church featuring produce grown in the Communiversity Gardens; open to the broader community as well as chapter members.
Rock Chalk Cook Off (Kansas chapter)
Cooking competition event hosted by the University of Kansas Plant Futures chapter in winter 2026.
Chapter Collective (seasonal)
Recurring seasonal roundups featuring chapter leader spotlights, cooking and event highlights, and cross-chapter updates shared across the network. Editions documented for Fall 2025, Winter 2026, and Summer 2026.
Foundations of a Plant-Centered Future (summer crash course)
Eight-week applied learning course co-taught by Sam Derrick and Darleen Martinez; students from across the country dedicating 16 hours over the summer built collective maps of food system challenges and possibilities.