School of Sustainability Graduate Culminating Experiences
Student capstone and applied projects from ASU's School of Sustainability.
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- All Subjects: Cooperative Business
Description
Food insecurity among university students in the U.S. is a pressing sustainability problem due to its prevalence, complex socio-economic drivers, and adverse effects. A national survey from the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found that 45% of university students (n=86,000) had experienced some form of food insecurity in the past 30 days (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2019). Students at Arizona State University (ASU) are similarly impacted by this sustainability problem—a recent study found that approximately 35% of ASU students have experienced food insecurity (Bruening et al., 2016). Food insecurity has a variety of detrimental effects on university students’ physical health, psychological well-being, and academic achievement (El Zien et al., 2019; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Meza et al., 2019), and these resulting issues have complex inter-regional, intrageneration, and intergenerational implications.
To mitigate food insecurity among university students, the project proposes the development of a sustainable, student-run food cooperative business at Arizona State University (ASU). Food cooperative businesses have long been utilized by communities to advance food access, economic self-determination, and food justice (DePasquale, Sarang, & Vena, 2017), so the project aims to lay the foundation for the establishment of such an enterprise at ASU. Through the development of an enterprise start-up plan and the execution of preliminary coalition-building efforts, the project seeks to demonstrate the plausibility of this solution while empowering stakeholders with the strategies needed to enact it.
To mitigate food insecurity among university students, the project proposes the development of a sustainable, student-run food cooperative business at Arizona State University (ASU). Food cooperative businesses have long been utilized by communities to advance food access, economic self-determination, and food justice (DePasquale, Sarang, & Vena, 2017), so the project aims to lay the foundation for the establishment of such an enterprise at ASU. Through the development of an enterprise start-up plan and the execution of preliminary coalition-building efforts, the project seeks to demonstrate the plausibility of this solution while empowering stakeholders with the strategies needed to enact it.
Created2021-04-28
Description
At a confluence of accelerating climate change, unprecedented technological advancement, and increasing corporate and government transparency, global systems are reaching a level of complexity never seen before. Much about how the future will play out is unknown. But what is clear is the need for a more sustainable structure to all organizations, and only those that are willing and able to adapt will survive. Few industries have a greater need for this change than golf, a sport that has shown significant decline in social and cultural relevance in recent decades due to controversial business practices and varying perspective on environmental impact. Greener Golf seeks to help businesses prepare for this needed level of resiliency.This project sought to address one of the least sustainable industries in one of the least sustainable cities, Phoenix, Arizona. Golf was chosen as the specific focus due to its significant impact on both the landscape of the state and its water reserves. Greener Golf was established as a driving force for sustainability advocacy and education and a platform where golf managers, workers, vendors, players, and entrepreneurs alike can come to learn about sustainability efforts and solutions in the golf world. It also serves to connect a network of like-minded individuals with the common goal of bringing sustainability to the sport they love. With the right vision and partnerships, a robust, adaptable, resilient, and inclusive business model can be achieved, elevating the game for future generations.
ContributorsGinn, David (Writer of accompanying material)
Created2020-05-13