By Jasmine Cataño Mata
As the nation faces growing challenges around food production and security, it is crucial to prepare students to be the future leaders that will navigate the complex policy decisions shaping the future of America’s food system.
Arizona State University welcomed nearly 200 students from 31 colleges and universities to participate in Model USDA 2026, a three-day simulation in which students embodied policymaker roles to debate current food policy issues.
The event, which took place Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, takes inspiration from Model UN and Model Congress by offering students the opportunity to engage in collaborative scenarios that mimic the food and agriculture policy work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“It turned out better than I imagined,” said Kathleen Merrigan, executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and the mastermind behind Model USDA. “Students told me the experience left them wanting a career in food policy — that’s a big win.”
Hannah Brailer, an undergraduate student studying sustainable food systems in the School of Sustainability, was excited to make a return to Model USDA to further her knowledge of food policy after her successful experience in the program’s virtual simulation last year.
Source : asu.edu