Not everyone has equal access to abundant, healthy, diverse and affordable food. What factors influence who eats, what we eat and why we eat it? A powerful set of political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural factors motivate this most fundamental of human actions, eating! This course is an in-depth exploration of the complex system that shapes food systems at all scales: from farm to table, from local to global. We explore the politics and economics underlying public policies surrounding the production, processing, transportation, marketing and consumption of food. We consider how policies affect the environment, human health and well-being, giving special attention to the ways in which food policy can exacerbate or mitigate inequality. The course has four parts: Fundamentals of Food Production and Consumption; Political Economy of Food; How Food Policy Uplifts and Oppresses; and Wicked Problems for Food Policy.

The class will tackle several challenging questions including:

• What is the current state of food security in local and global context?

• How will demographic changes influence global supply and demand for food?

• What role do subsidies and trade policy play in shaping the supply and demand for food?

• Who governs food and agriculture locally and globally?

• What technological options are there for solving the problem of feeding the global population?

• How have the agribusiness, fast food, supermarket, and on-line shopping industries shaped public policy discourse and consumer behavior?

• Why do we observe the paradox of hunger and obesity in the same context?

• Does being a vegetarian or vegan, eating local, eating organic, and eating slow, catalyze policy change?

• How can we sustain current food supply given the constraints imposed by environmental degradation, water scarcity and climate change?

To explore these questions we give concerted attention to three kinds of food policy discourse:

• The analytical discourse of scientists (agricultural, social etc.) whose research contributes to solving food centered public policy problems;

• The discourse of policy makers charged with making decisions about how to influence actions for the public good in local, national and global food systems; and

• Advocacy narratives from a range of stakeholders used to influence food policy, food producers, and food consumers.

By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze and interrogate scholarship, policy dialogues, about popular press/social media claims about food policy and its expected outcomes. This is a reading and discussion intensive class.

Intended Audience:

Concentrators in any field of study are welcome, especially those who are interested in environmental and/or public health issues and seek to improve their analytical, writing and communication skills.

Class Format:

Learning Mode: All class meetings will be taught synchronously and In-Person for the Fall 2021 term.

Instruction Mode: The class meets synchronously, twice a week in person for 80 minutes.