Italy

The Center is in the ancient city of Greve, nestled in the gentle rolling hills of Chianti. Greve’s main piazza contains multiple medieval-era buildings with numerous restaurants, shops, and museums to explore. Greve also hosts a weekly farmers’ market that attracts both residents from nearby cities and international tourists.

Creating shared community around food is an important aspect of the program. You’ll live in shared apartments in town and immerse yourself in group living through food culture. Share responsibility for cooking, budgeting, shopping, and preparing meals, and enjoy the deeply rooted Italian tradition of connecting over food.

• Shared and furnished apartments a short walking distance from the Center, where you’ll meet daily for class and excursions
• Apartments are equipped with cooking facilities, bathrooms, living room, a small garden, and WiFi
• Lunch and snacks provided at the Center on program days
• A weekly food stipend is provided to plan and cook breakfasts and dinners together, connecting through the process of food shopping and culinary pursuits
• Travel easily to other Italian and European destinations during designated long weekends or mid-semester break

Our research at the SFS Center for Sustainable Food Systems analyzes the integration of environmental, sociocultural, and economic dimensions of food systems to achieve sustainability in different agroecological contexts. Conservation of wild ecosystems and/or agrobiodiversity is addressed in all research projects, which follow an interdisciplinary approach incorporating both natural and social sciences. Field research is carried out on vegetable and cereal cultivation, horse, sheep, goat, and cattle rearing, artisanal fisheries, vineyards and olive groves, and in multi-use agroforestry operations. At the end of the semester program, students will present their research findings and experience to the local community, government, and key stakeholders from the program.

Our research focuses primarily on the following themes:

• Conservation of local agrobiodiversity by farmers
• Climate change impacts on food production
• Sustainability of organic agriculture and small-scale fisheries
• Livestock-wolf conflict management
• Stewardship of endangered heritage livestock breeds
• Multifunctional forest management

With a population of 14,000, the hilly terrain of Chianti forms the center of Tuscany, sandwiched between the cities of Florence and Siena. The predominant land use in Chianti is a mixture of vineyards and olive groves, but nearly 45% of the territory is covered by woodland. Greve is approximately 15 miles from Florence and offers efficient public transport facilities to major cities and airports.

Students become members of the Greve community during the program, living in shared apartments in town. Away from the chaos of the major cities, students are part of small-town living, practicing Italian language skills while out at local restaurants, shopping in the organic farmers market, and socializing with neighbors and local families. A unique Italian study abroad experience, students learn to cook in groups and share conversation at the table, a cultural mainstay of the traditional Italian way of life.