Supermarkets as museums of plant diversity: characterizing the food basket as a project for gastronomy students to learn about crop diversity and water footprint

Crop diversity is fundamental for sustainable food systems, yet in modern diets most people remain unaware of the plants that make up their food, reflecting a widespread lack of plant awareness . For gastronomy students, understanding agrobiodiversity and recognizing the plant species used in food preparations are essential learning outcomes that foster awareness of the nutritional, cultural, and environmental value of plant diversity. This study presents an inquiry-based learning project that uses supermarkets as museums of plant diversity , engaging undergraduate gastronomy students in analyzing the plant diversity (at species-level), geographical origins, and water footprint of food products from their own supermarket baskets. The project design, data sources, and collaborative characterization procedures are described, along with results obtained over two academic years. Ninety-five students collectively analyzed 852 food products, revealing a predominance of processed items (86.6%) and a notable diversity of 118 plant species. Most species had foreign origins, while those from the study region (South/East Mediterranean) accounted for only 10.1% and 21.5% of the diversity in fresh and processed products, respectively. Processed foods also exhibited a higher water footprint (289.7 l/100 g) than fresh products (103.8 l/100 g). Students reported a highly positive learning experience, emphasizing that examining their own food purchases through a research-based approach enhanced their understanding of agrobiodiversity and sustainability. Overall, the project demonstrates that using supermarkets as experiential learning environments effectively integrates agronomy, history, food science, and gastronomy, fostering both plant awareness and environmental responsibility. • Food blindness limits gastronomy education and must be addressed in training • Supermarkets can serve as experiential learning spaces for agrobiodiversity • Inquiry-based learning engages gastronomy students with plant diversity