Food for Thought

Food for Thought: A Sustainable Exploration of the Food System will be a campus-wide celebration of food as a gateway to sustainability, community, and connection. By giving to Food for Thought, you’re not just funding an event—you’re helping create a space where sustainability feels approachable, relevant, and human.

Launching in October 2026, during Campus Sustainability Month, this interactive event invites students, staff, and faculty to explore the food system from every angle, environmental, cultural, economic, and social, through an experience that’s welcoming, hands-on, and fun. After all, everyone eats, and everyone has a story to tell.

Food for Thought is designed as a low-barrier entry point into sustainability. Instead of lectures or jargon, sustainability concepts are woven into experiences people already love: tasting delicious food, meeting local farmers, watching cooking demos, sharing stories, and connecting with one another. Food becomes the catalyst for learning, conversation, and action.

Examples of what participants can expect from Food for Thought:

• Sample sustainably produced foods
• Learn about companies that are making a positive impact in the food system
• Meet and mingle with local farmers and food producers
• Enjoy short, interdisciplinary talks on timely food-system topics
• Learn practical skills through cooking demonstrations, including how to cook accessible, flavorful vegan meals
• Connect and network in a welcoming space where curiosity is encouraged and no prior sustainability knowledge is required

Our vision is for Food for Thought to become a marquee sustainability event, one that people look forward to each year and that reflects CSUMB’s commitment to inclusion, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

Why your support matters: The scale and impact of Food for Thought depends directly on the funds we raise. Your contribution helps us provide quality food samples, compensate local farmers and presenters, create interactive experiences, and keep the event accessible to all. Every dollar donated helps turn this idea into a vibrant, campus-defining experience.

Support Food for Thought and help us build a more connected, delicious, and sustainable future, one bite at a time.

All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal State Monterey Bay provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal State Monterey Bay complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.