The FIC is an active group of researchers who aim to translate evidence into policy and to bridge the gap between the expertise at Tufts and communication to the public and local and national leaders. The FIC has published a great body of work on global issues in food systems and nutrition and has featured regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and South Asia in its work. Research topics include addressing malnutrition and interdisciplinary solutions to social, economic, and food systems, in particular how these systems function in times of humanitarian crises.
Many faculty at the FIC are associated with the Friedman School, while some hail from the Fletcher and Cummings Schools. Other faculty are researchers participating from around the world, from sites such as Kenya and Uganda.
The faculty of the FIC mentor and support the academic activities focused on humanitarian studies including the humanitarian assistance concentration of the Food and Nutrition Policy Programs degree at Friedman, the joint Fletcher-Friedman Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance degree, and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy at Fletcher. These degrees include courses such as Economics for Food Policy Analysis, International Human Rights Law, and Processes of International Negotiation.
The FIC specifically studies the functions and gaps in food systems and diplomacy during humanitarian crises, so it may not be the best place for students or faculty interested in more general food systems work. However, if the FIC seems like a group you’d like to learn more about, contact them here!