About
The Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems develops innovative ideas and solutions to the many challenges of current food systems.
Taking a holistic and transdisciplinary approach, the Center seeks to facilitate research, education, public engagement, community-strengthening and policy reform to support sustainable food systems. The Swette Center is the focal point for food systems work at ASU.
Swette Center (pronounced “sweet-ee”) faculty recognize that one-dimensional metrics, like yield per hectare, are important but blind us to many opportunities if not considered within a broader food systems approach. Increasingly, food system analysis is recognized for its power to provide greater understanding of complex interactions and real world dynamics than other kinds of lenses, frameworks or models. Food system analysis can help policymakers and others understand potential trade-offs of proposed interventions, technologies and policies by taking into account the many aspects of food and agriculture typically studied — agricultural land, inputs, fisheries, infrastructure, labor and the like — and placing these component parts within an integrated social and environmental context.
At the Swette Center, faculty are reinventing research processes, and by doing so, the Center is producing policy-relevant knowledge to make the consequences of our food choices explicit in quantitative and qualitative terms.
Creating the future of food:
A five year review
From groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of food accounting to educational programs that empower the next generation of food policy leaders, our 5-year report encapsulates the Swette Center’s multidimensional impact through the lens of seven strategic priorities. Join us in reflecting on the past and creating the future of food.
Our mission
Together we drive social progress, economic productivity and ecosystem resilience through food systems transformation.
Our vision
A world where all communities enjoy nutritious food produced from thriving, equitable and environmentally sustainable food systems.
Our ethos
Accessible expertise
We are perpetual students cultivating an inviting environment of curiosity, critical thinking and networking.
Facilitating and accelerating innovation through cross-pollination
ASU sustainability scientists and scholars connect and collaborate with global food producers, distributors and consumers to solve pressing food systems challenges through holistic systems thinking and design.
Commitment to our community
We’re more than scholars and policymakers — we’re friends, change agents and embedded partners working with all who shape food systems.
Cultivating the future
Empowering the next generations through cutting-edge research, education and policy.
Executive Director Kathleen Merrigan
At the ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Executive Director Kathleen Merrigan brings her invaluable expertise in policy and academia to work with local producers, state and national leaders, and university faculty and students to achieve the sustainable food future that we are all eager to embrace.
Recognitions
In 2023, the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems earned the prestigious ASU President’s Award for Transdisciplinary Collaboration in recognition of their ongoing efforts to advance organic agriculture and policy. This accolade reflects the Center’s commitment to fostering collaboration across disciplines for a more sustainable future.
Furthermore, the renowned nonprofit Food Tank has consistently recognized the Swette Center’s dedication to food systems transformation. In 2024, for the fourth consecutive year, the Center was honored to be named among the top organizations around the world building equitable and resilient food systems.
Kelly and Brian Swette
The Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems was established thanks to a generous gift from Kelly and Brian Swette, longtime supporters of ASU.
Among their many career accomplishments, Kelly and Brian Swette are perhaps best known for founding Sweet Earth Natural Foods, a leading company in the plant-based, natural and organic foods sector.
Prior to serving as the CEO of Sweet Earth for six years, Kelly was the Global Vice President of Marketing at Calvin Klein and held several leadership roles during her decade-long tenure at PepsiCo. She has also contributed her expertise as a board member for Thistle and the Philip Glass Center for the Arts, Science, and the Environment. Kelly describes herself as engineer by training, marketer by trade, and foodie by love.
Brian Swette is a proud alumnus and trustee of ASU. As the former President of Sweet Earth Natural Foods, Brian was instrumental in driving the company’s growth and success in the plant-based food market. His extensive career includes roles as Chief Operating Officer of eBay, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo, and Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble. His board experience is equally impressive, with positions at Burger King, Jamba Juice, FRS Company, and Endeavor.
“When I think about sustainability, I think about it as a moral imperative.”
– Brian Swette
Explore more
Join us to create the future of food.