MSc in Food and Planetary Health

A Transdisciplinary Program Viewing Food and Health through a Planetary Lens

The MSc in Food and Planetary Health is a pioneering two-year international program offered in collaboration between the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Venlo College of Maastricht University and the University of Turin. Entirely taught in English, the course blends nutritional sciences, humanities and social sciences to analyze and transform food systems in relation to planetary health, nutrition, and social justice.

Rooted in the One Health approach, the curriculum includes modules on human, non-human, and planetary well-being, green and blue regeneration, global health nutrition, food governance and law, philosophy and agroecology, equipping students with tools to rethink food from a systemic and ecological perspective.

Start date: 21 September 2026

Integrating Environment, Health, and Society

This interdisciplinary master’s program prepares students to become change-makers in sustainable food systems. Merging environmental sciences, nutrition, agroecology, law, and philosophy, it helps students:

• Analyze global food policy and governance using frameworks like the SDGs and One Health.
• Evaluate the environmental and social impacts of food production with tools like LCA, carbon/water footprints, and social sustainability indicators.
• Develop a critical understanding of how scientific knowledge is developed and applied, integrating philosophy of science to question dominant paradigms in food and Planetary Health.
• Promote ethical food practices through critical reflection, public engagement, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• Collaborate with local and global actors to design food solutions that are equitable, sustainable, and health-driven.

Real-world projects and participatory approaches connect academic theory with applied innovation, ensuring a well-rounded preparation.

Connecting Food, People, and the Planet through a Holistic Approach

At the heart of this Master’s program lies the One Health approach, a holistic vision that recognizes the codetermination of human health, non-human well-being and the health of ecosystems.

The curriculum integrates this framework across multiple thematic modules, including:

• One Health and the Human Condition: introducing the conceptual foundations of interlinked health;
• Planetary Health: contextualizing food production within climate, biodiversity, and global health crises;
• Non-human Health and Wellbeing: addressing care, ethics, and cross-species health connections;
• Global Health Nutrition linking equity of food systems to planetary and population health;
• Food Governance and Law: Exploring How Legal Systems Can Support One Health-Oriented Food Transitions.
  

Students are trained to analyze and co-design food governance models that promote ecological integrity, public health, and resilient communities. 

This One Health perspective fosters a systems-thinking mindset essential for addressing complex challenges in sustainable food systems.

An International Journey Through Two Campuses

This program offers a unique international learning experience, delivered entirely in English through a collaboration between the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, the University of Turin and the Venlo Campus of Maastricht University. Students gain insights from two academic cultures, develop a European perspective on food systems, and build global networks, an essential asset for shaping food sustainability on a planetary scale.

Gain Practical Skills to Shape Real-World Food Systems

Beyond academic theory, this program equips students with practical tools to design, evaluate, and manage planetary health and food system transformations. Through real-case scenarios, students engage with concepts such as sustainability metrics, food policy frameworks, menu analysis, and circular procurement logic. The curriculum fosters critical skills to work across food environments, from agroecological landscapes to institutional food services, applying solutions that promote the health of humans, non-humans and the planet.

Shift the Course of Your Networking

Become part of a community including people from 100 different countries, and expand your academic journey beyond the realms of education. Our international student body helps foster a global community where students can learn about other world cultures and continue expanding their network.

Our “Pollenzo Bubble” – as named by our alumni and students – guarantees that your university experience continues long after graduation.