On April 8, students, staff, and community members gathered in the Commonwealth Honors College events hall to explore a simple but powerful idea: what we eat from the ocean can shape the future of our planet.
As part of the Dining for a Cooler Planet series, Barton Seaver, a renowned chef and sustainable seafood advocate, hosted the Blue Food Cookbook Presentation & Discussion: a conversation that was inspiring and delicious.
Rethinking Seafood
Chef Seaver, co-author of The Blue Food Cookbook, guided attendees through the concept of “blue food”–foods sourced from waterways that can play a critical role in building a more sustainable food system.
Instead of a restrictive approach to sustainable eating, his message centered on opportunity. By choosing a wider variety of seafood, especially underutilized species and responsibly farmed options, individuals can reduce pressure on overfished populations while still enjoying flavorful, nourishing meals.
Drawing from his experience as a National Geographic fellow and his work at Harvard, Seaver emphasized that sustainability extends further than the environment–it’s also about accessibility, reconnecting people to where their food comes from, and supporting local fishing economies.
Attendees sampled dishes inspired by The Blue Food Cookbook, bringing Seaver’s philosophy to life in real time. Each bite reinforced that sustainable choices can expose us to new and delicious flavors.
The cookbook giveaway added another layer of excitement, giving students the chance to bring these ideas back to their own kitchens and continue exploring blue foods beyond the event.
Blue Food at UMass
At a campus like UMass where dining is such a central part of student life, events like this bridge the gap between awareness and action–shifting the narrative from “what should I avoid?” to “what can I discover?”
Participants left the event feeling informed and inspired to be more thoughtful, more adventurous, and more connected to the systems that feed us. Because sometimes, building a more sustainable future starts with something as simple as what’s on your plate.
To learn more about Barton Seaver, visit: https://seafoodthatmatters.com/