Through the Sustainable Community and Regenerative Agriculture Project (SCRAP), Baylor partners with the City of Waco and McLennan County residents to build a more sustainable food system. SCRAPâs efforts have helped divert 317,972 pounds of food waste from landfills over the past year, according to its 2022-25 report. The report also found that food insecurity affected 14.4% of Central Texas and 19.7% of Waco residents in 2025.
The grant-funded research collective brings together community organizations, educators and students to address food insecurity through gardening, food recovery and environmental education. On campus, students can see the work firsthand in two community gardens: one at Teal Residential College and another near the Armstrong Browning Library. Classes ranging from engineering to education use the gardens.
Dr. Joshua King, a professor of English and founding member of SCRAP, said students should recognize the needs of the community around them. âOne in five of our residents has difficulty in accessing adequate food,â he said. âIf students can recognize that there are ways for them to help right in our community, from literature to social work, students are the ones who are going to have the greatest amount of change as the next generation.â