Studying soils for food justice

Agriculture has been a core interest for Diego Gutierrez, Earth Systems ’25, since childhood. Starting with the backyard garden where he first learned to grow food, early curiosity turned into a conviction to contribute to better food systems, inspired by stories of the challenges his grandfather faced as a farmworker.

While Gutierrez initially wanted to study agricultural policy at Stanford, a pivotal class during his first quarter broadened his perspective.

“It was a lecture on soils in Introduction to Earth Systems,” he said, remembering the excitement of finding an area of study he didn’t know existed. “My focus shifted from there and I got really interested in soil science.”

Exploring the subject in the Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry lab led by Professor Scott Fendorf, Gutierrez worked on a summer research project as a sophomore through the Sustainability, Engineering, and Science Undergraduate Research (SESUR) program. He investigated how the use of nitrogen-rich fertilizer on crops in the Salinas Valley of California affected groundwater contamination in local communities. The blend of social and technical aspects showed him the ways that policy and science could work together.

“That was a really exciting project that combined both of my interests. It was data-driven and hands-on, but also for a cause related to food and water quality for people in the region,” he said.

Gutierrez continued working in Fendorf’s lab throughout his time at Stanford. In addition to research, he credits many courses he took as an Earth systems major as critical to shaping his understanding of food justice issues, including Urban Agroecology and Tribal Food Sovereignty.

These experiences culminated in a thesis project on the relationship between soil science and food sovereignty, or the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through socially just, ecologically sound, and sustainable methods. He focused on Puerto Rico, analyzing ways to grow vegetables traditional to the Puerto Rican diet more efficiently with fewer chemicals in support of small-scale agriculture on the island.

“I see a lot of solutions happening at the local scale, so I want to be at that level to understand the complexity of those issues,” he said.

Next year, he plans to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Michigan and continue studying agroecology and food systems in Puerto Rico.

Having reached the personal milestone of graduating in three years, Gutierrez reflected with gratitude on the experiences that have deepened his involvement in issues he’s passionate about.

 “I’m really happy that the major and school allowed the flexibility for so many courses and research opportunities,” he said. “It’s led me on this journey where I feel like everything happened for a reason.”