University of Michigan establishes new position for Sustainable Food Program

The University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, has appointed Emily Canosa as manager of the university’s Sustainable Food Program (UMSFP). Within this newly created position, Canosa will assist students and campus groups in integrating sustainable practices and education into their campus lives. “I link students up with places where they can get what they need,” she states within a university press release. “That could be with a class on campus, a student club, or with a certain workshop or an event going on.”

University of Michigan students played an active role in identifying the need for this position, according to the release. “In the past, one big challenge had been the loss of knowledge, as student leaders graduate every year. The students of the USMSFP saw the new position as critical to ensuring continuity, with part of the charge dedicated to helping leadership teams transfer knowledge to the next generation,” the release stated.

In addition to composting initiatives, Canosa will be integral in supporting students to obtain Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification for the campus farm, which is necessary in order to serve food grown on the farm within campus dining halls. The position is a collaboration between Student Life, the Graham Sustainability Institute, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, which contribute to the position’s funding, according to the release. Additional funding also comes from a grant from the Transforming Learning for a Third Century initiative.

Canosa has a bachelor of arts in history of art and a master’s of art in Japanese studies. According to the release, she has interned as a beekeeper and with an organic farmers’ market in Japan. Canosa has more than five years’ experience working with sustainable gardening and agriculture. Most recently, she worked as the food and garden club coordinator for the Agrarian Adventure, in Ann Arbor.