Waters, UC Davis team on institute
Alice Waters, the founder of Berkeley’s groundbreaking restaurant Chez Panisse, was in Sacramento on Thursday to announce a new collaboration with UC Davis dubbed the Alice Waters Institute for Edible Education.
Waters said her goal is “is to have a space that is so engaging, so beautiful, so irresistible, that you all of a sudden absorb the values of stewardship, nourishment and community.”
It’s not entirely clear what exactly the institute will do, but UC Davis Provost Ralph Hexter described a host of lofty goals during the announcement, including finding ways to reduce carbon emissions that lead to climate change, improving the understanding of organic agriculture, and encouraging environmental education; hosting conferences that address challenges facing the food system; and leading projects that support farmers and ranchers who adhere to regenerative practices.
In essence, it’s intended to “advance a transformative vision for the health
of our communities and our planet,” Hexter said.
One concrete aspect of the institute will be an extension of Waters’ 25yearold nonprofit, the Edible Schoolyard Project. There will be gardens and kitchens that act as interactive classrooms for food literacy, providing professional development for K12 teachers as well as UC Davis faculty and students.
“We envision a space for food education really unlike any other,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary May.
The institute will be in a foodandhealththemed building in Aggie Square, a UC Davis “innovation hub” planned for its Sacramento campus. Construction is slated to begin in mid2021.
In a live stream of the announcement, Waters was visibly emotional as she talked about the start of Chez Panisse and how eating delicious food can support the kind of agriculture that’s beneficial for the environment.
“I just know this relationship with the University of California is going to lift these values to the moon and give them the kind of credibility that only a great university can do,” Waters said.