Emily will be studying from March 2015 through March 2016 at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, which was founded by the international non-profit Slow Food. She will get a degree in Food Culture and Communications, focusing on food systems and policies and the relationship between food and place.
Part of the degree is a study project, which she developed based on her interest in the connection between food systems and climate change, particularly as it relates to the oceans. Her proposal is to visit existing ocean farms and aquaculture operations along the coast of Piemonte and other regions of Italy to investigate their existing infrastructure and markets. She is interested in the potential of integrating kelp into small ocean farms because of its ability to sequester carbon and buffer ocean acidification, therefore providing an element of ecosystem restoration, as well as its potential as a food source and a biofuel. She hopes to explore potential markets for kelp in the region and to bring what she learn back to the US.