Socio-ecological Systems: Feeding The Modern United States

HSS2090/NST2090 Socio-Ecological Systems: Feeding the Modern United States
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsThe sustainability of the global food system hinges on the full scope of the system's environmental resilience and safety. This course will be co-taught by a U.S. historian and a biologist, and it focuses on the history, science, and future sustainability of the food system in the United States and across the globe. Students will study food security and food deserts, the origins of our plant and animal food products, and the labor required to bring food to our tables. They will learn about the social and environmental stressors across the entirety of the food system - from the use of the world's resources and the impact of climate change, to the communities nearby to where the food is grown, raised, processed or sold; they will study the health and safety of the agricultural and food service labor force, comprised first of enslaved people and later of im/migrant workers, many of whom lack official documentation. This interdisciplinary course on sustainability is designed to teach students about the social, historical, and environmental dimensions of a sustainable food system.

Prerequisites: (FCI1000 or AHS1000) and (WRT1001or RHT1000)