By: Lily Gordon, Class of 2015

We hear the word "sustainability" often these days--but have you ever wondered how this concept applies to a restaurant in a city? What does the "green" certification of a restaurant mean? Does it mean a friendlier environmental performance? Better economic performance? Engagement with the city in creating food awareness?

This winter and spring, University of Chicago Economics Lecturer and Director of the Green Restaurant Research Team Sabina Shaikh has explored these questions with 35 students in a research-based class called Environment, Agriculture and Food: Economic and Policy Analysis.