Food Systems Minor Proposal

Center for Food Innovation & Entrepreneurship

FOOD SYSTEMS MINOR

CENTER FOR FOOD

INNOVATION
&
ENTRPRENUERSHIP

A PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTING A FOOD

SYSTEMS MINOR AT SANTA CLARA
UNIVERSITY
BY BRANDON SAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………... 1

OPPURTUNITY/ REASONING..…………………………………. 2

PROJECT DESCRIPTION………………………………………... 3

COST ANALYSIS………………………………………………….. 5

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY……………………………………….. 6

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………. 6

APPENDIX…………………………………………………………. 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With 2018 becoming a record-breaking year for the
Agriculture Technology Industry, it is more
practical than ever for a university to provide the
opportunity for students to study the way food
systems are evolving. Last year alone, the
industry received $16.9 billion in funding
predominately in California.1 For this reason, I
propose that the Center for Food Innovation and
Entrepreneurship in the Leavey School of Business
at Santa Clara University should develop and
implement a minor that formally educates students to be
equipped with the skills necessary to contribute to this booming
industry. In addition to the skills required, it will be important to incorporate a
sustainability focus to ensure that the students are conscious of the long-term impacts
that the industry is going to have on the environment.

Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship

CFIE provides the perfect platform for the Business School at Santa Clara
University to introduce this new minor due to its connections throughout the
AgTech Industry in Silicon Valley and their main objectives. CFIE strives to
educate students in the “functional areas of management with the
application of modern business practices in the food industry.”2 A minor in
food systems perfectly aligns with the mission of the Center and would properly guide them in
achieving their goal of introducing students to this industry, while doing so with competence,
conscience, and compassion. These 3 C’s that are incorporated into education at SCU will foster
student’s ability to help shape this industry in its early, vulnerable stages to positively impact the
environment and local communities.

1
Splitter, Jenny. “The AgTech Industry May Be Growing Up, AgFunder Reports.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 8 Mar.
2019, www.forbes.com/sites/jennysplitter/2019/03/08/the-agtech-industry-may-be-growing-up-agfunder-
reports/#6fee38b4335a.

2
https://www.scu.edu/business/cfie/

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 WHY A MINOR IN FOOD SYSTEMS AT SCU?
Due to the relatively new incorporation of technology
into agriculture in the development of the AgTech
industry, it is extremely important that people with
ethical intentions have a strong hold in shaping the
progression. With the high numbers of powerful,
greedy corporations in Silicon Valley, this industry is at
risk of being taken under control by profit driven
organizations who are not conscience of the long-
term impacts.

COMPETENCE CONSCIENCE COMPASSION

By providing Santa The required critical Students develop

Cl ara University
students with the
interdi sciplina ry,
technical ski lls useful in
the industry, they will
be competent in
tackl ing the regul ar
obstacles that present
themselves in the early
stages of the industry.
thinking classes at
Santa Clara University
will ingrain a strong
mora l guidel ine to
assist students through
ethical deci sion
making. 3
compassion from courses
required such as
Experiential Learning for
Social Justice. This class
cultivates social justice,
civic life, perspective
and civic engagement
which helps students see
the world from another
perspective and
encourage empathy. 4

3
https://www.scu.edu/provost/core/foundations/#ctw
4
https://www.scu.edu/provost/core/integrations/elsj/

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Multidisciplinary Minor
In order to create a minor that is fully equipping
students with the ability to thrive in the AgTech
industry, it is important to make the minor
multidisciplinary. By incorporating classes from
the Leavey School of Business, the College of Arts
and Sciences, and the School of Engineering,
students will get a foundation inclusive of all
fundamental aspects of the AgTech industry. This well-
versed knowledge will allow students to have an understanding of different
perspectives in the industry to more efficiently and effectively communicate and
collaborate with coworkers.

Due to the elemental stages of many start-ups in the industry, the teams consist of a
majority of people with backgrounds in science and engineering. While it is essential to
have these technical skills to develop a product, it can be very useful for people with a
background in business and environmental studies to help successfully market the
company to spark the interest of investors and consumers.

Above is a visualization of the incorporation of aspects from the different schools that
are relevant in AgTech with the central theme being food.

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Below is a list of multi-disciplinary courses already offered at Santa Clara University that
should be considered in the development of the minor based on course descriptions.

CLASS NAME DESCRIPTION

ANTH 133 Human Nutrition and Culture
ANTH 140/ ENVS 136 Food, Culture, & the Environment
ANTH 154 Environmental Anthropology
ANTH 159 Globalization and Cultural Change
BIOL 18 Exploring Biotechnology L&L
BIOL 106 Health Consequences of a Western Lifestyle
BIOL 153/ ENVS 153 Conservation Science
BIOL 171 Ethical Issues in Biotechnology and Genetics
BUSN 150 Feeding the world
BUSN 151 A Feeding the World Immersion
ECON101 Resources, Food, and the Environment
ECON 111 Economics of the Environment
ECON 160 The Economics of Poverty and Inequality
ENGL 1A: CTW Food: Culture, Health, the Environment, and Food Insecurity
ENGL 1A: CTW Reading Food, Self, and Culture.
ENGL 1A: CTW What's for Dinner?
ENVS 20 The Water Wars of California L&L
ENVS 22 Intro to Environmental Studies
ENVS 132 AgroEcology
ENVS 146 Agriculture, Environment & Development in Latin America
ENVS 147 International Environment and Development
ENVS 149 African Environment and Development
ENVS 151 Restoration Ecology L&L
ENVS 155 Environmental Food Justice
ENVS 160 Water Resources L&L
ENVS 167 Innovation for Climate Justice
PHIL 111 Bioethics and the Law
MGMT 42 Managing from the triple bottom line
ECON 111 Economics of the Environment
MKTG 189 Sustainability Marketing
MGMT 164 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
MGMT 172 Social Entrepreneurship
MGMT 177 Cultures of Innovation
MKTG 187 Innovation & New Product Marketing
MKTG 189 Sustainability Marketing
OMIS 108E Sustainable Operations Management
PHIL 9 Ethics and the Environment
PHIL 109 Environmental Ethics
PHSC 101 Nutrition and Public Health
PHSC 103 Advanced Global Health
PHSC 131 Community Health
PHSC 142 Environment and Health
PHSC 157 Social Innovation in Public Health
RSOC 140 Animals, Environment, and World Religion
ENVS 191 Urban Agriculture Practicum 5

5
https://www.scu.edu/bulletin/undergraduate/

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COST ANALYSIS
While it is difficult to breakdown the exact costs of the
minor in the early stages, this minor would be a fairly
low-cost project given that Santa Clara University has
almost all of the courses and measures in place to
develop and implement this minor.

The main costs that would be specific to the new minor

would be the time taken to develop the details of the
minor and the costs of guest speakers to come and speak in
the classes (though they would be doing it at their own cost if they commit to sharing
their knowledge with the university). Some other additional costs would be the time
taken for other people in the University to approve and formally implement the minor
and courses

The director of the Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship would be
developing the minor and this would take approximately 20% of their time at work
throughout the first year and about 10% in the following years with regular maintenance
and oversight. Most directors within the University have an annual salary between
$70,000 and $115,000.6

The approximate total costs are given in the table below.

Year 1 Year 2 and after
Minor Developer
$14,000 - $23,000* $7,000 - $11,500*
(CFIE Director)
Additional Costs ~$1,000 ~$200
Approximate Total ~$19,500 ~$9,450
*Dependent on salary
The costs of implementing this minor would be worth it due to the attention and
interest it would draw from students around the world looking to work in this industry. In
addition, it would attract interest from companies throughout Silicon Valley looking to
hire young professionals trained with the necessary skills. This would only further the
connections and network of the University and CFIE to help continue to flourish with
feedback and funding.

6
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Santa-Clara-University-Director-San-Jose-Salaries-
EJI_IE29607.0,22_KO23,31_IL.32,40_IM761.htm

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ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

Short-Term:
Some immediate ways of evaluating whether or not this minor will be
successful:
o Assess interest through student surveys
o Communicate with local AgTech start-ups and established companies in
the area to determine whether or not they believe this minor will help
prepare students for work in the industry

Long term:
In the long run, to assess the impact and value of the minor, the following
can be used to determine success:
o Number of students taking the minor
- Is there an upward trend in quantity of students interested?
o Monitor ease of transition from university to the workforce
- How quickly were they students able to find job in the industry?
o Survey to students who have completed the minor and are now working in
the industry
- Did the minor provide them the skills to succeed in their post-grad
life?

CONCLUSION
While schools around the world could provide a
multidisciplinary Food Systems minor with similar goals,
the foundations of the Jesuit education provide for an
ethical and well-rounded take on equipping students
with the skills necessary to make sustainable strides in
the AgTech Industry. The location of Santa Clara University makes it a
perfect fit given that it is in the epicenter of the most innovative
technology and development in relation to AgTech.

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APPENDIX [Implementation Memo]

To: Center for Food Innovation & Entrepreneurship

From: Brandon Sage
Date: September 20th, 2019
Subject: Launching Food Systems Minor

Dear CFIE,

With my exposure to the AgTech Industry through my summer internship at Sweet Farm
in Half Moon bay, I feel more passionate than ever about the potential that this industry
has to revolutionize the way we see food systems.

I am ecstatic to hear that the Food Systems minor has been approved by the University
and we are ready to begin advertising it to students.

This minor is going to foster the growth of this revolutionary industry by offering
students who are prepared to contribute and help it sustainably grow in an ethical way.

Benefits of the Minor:

o Foster the growth and vocational discernment of passionate students
o Deliver students to ethically shape the industry in its early stages
o Encourage students to make a sustainable change
o Draw interest to CFIE, the University, and the industry to further network,
connect, and innovate

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything else I can do to help.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for CFIE, the University, and this industry!

Best,
Brandon Sage

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