Early Fall Start Study Abroad: La Dolce Vita: Exploring Ireland and Italy in Search of the History and Future of Sustainable Food Systems. Feb 2 Info Session. Feb 15 Application Deadline.

La Dolce Vita: Exploring Ireland and Italy in Search of the History and Future of Sustainable Food Systems is a 26-day study abroad program at University of Washington that will explore sustainable food systems across Ireland and Italy in autumn 2026. The program is now live and accepting applications! 

Important dates to learn more and apply

• February 2, 2026  – Information Session, 10-11:30 a.m. in Raitt Hall 229
• February 15, 2026 – Deadline to apply

About the Program

La Dolce Vita: Exploring Ireland and Italy in Search of the History and Future of Sustainable Food Systems is an early fall start program exploring food in both Ireland and Italy. Through a mix of systems thinking, readings, dialogues, tours, and experiential learning to understand how factors, such as history, culture, policy, diet, lifestyle, trade, and market structure/economics, interact to drive sustainability across environmental, economic, health, and social outcomes.

Throughout the trip, the class will connect with local experts and scholars to discuss how the past and present role of history, policy, and food culture affect food systems and the important role food is playing in embracing a more sustainable future. The course will consider a variety of retail outlets, contrast production methods and policies in the E.U. and the U.S. and discuss what hinders and helps systems to learn from each other.