HSEM3242H: Food As A Cultural Good

Food is considered a nutritional good when it is so much more. In this Honors Seminar, we will explore our personal values, ethics, and social, cultural, and religious aspects of food production and consumption. We will examine some core issues faced by producers, suppliers, and consumers around the world. Questions regarding the relationship of agricultural and ecological processes, roles of individual farmers and agribusiness, religious and cultural considerations, personal choices, and nutritious and satisfying meals will challenge each of us to construct a personal framework around food. Guest lecturers of different backgrounds and interests will be engaged throughout the course. For example, we will tap into many stakeholders, including but not limited to academics, activists, community leaders, and religious groups who have expertise in food production and consumption. Soil scientists will explain how rocky soils and steep slopes have challenged Central American agricultural practice. Veterinarians will help us understand how their relationship with the farmers and animals have helped shape their vocation and the surrounding food production systems. Environmental scientists will explore the implications of modern agriculture on environmental sustainability. This course adopts interdisciplinary perspectives. Students will read, think about, and discuss materials sourced from disciplines such as environmental science, geography, economics, anthropology, and history. This Honors Seminar will help us appreciate the landscapes and ecosystems, human labor, and socio-economic infrastructure needed at the local level to fulfill the task of putting food on the plate and become aware of what occurs at a global scale to feed the world while being both economically and ecologically sustainable. At the completion of the Honors Seminar, each of us should be able to explain that not only is food a nutritional good but also to understand, in a global context, the significant costs and conflicts involved in meeting our needs and desires. Instructors will invite guest lecturers with food systems experience to enter the discussions with sensitivity. We will bring together what we’ve learned and share some meals together.

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