On February 4th, Campus Dining, Princeton Environmental Institute, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are partnering to host the Princeton Photosynthesis Pathways Dinner.

The three photosynthesis pathways (C3, C4, and CAM) each have important contributions for sustainable agriculture. The C3 pathway, the most common and basic pathway, is the engine which produces most of the food that we eat today. The “carbon-concentrating” C4 pathway evolved to use sunlight and water more efficiently, and gives us corn, sugarcane, and other “grass-like” crops. The CAM pathway functions with extremely low water inputs (up to ten times less than the C3 pathway) and gives us niche foods like pineapple, nopales, and agave syrup.

During the Pathways Dinner we will explore creative and delicious ways of combining the three photosynthesis pathways to produce a healthy and sustainable meal with low water inputs.