Sustainable Food

In an age of the 4,000 km Caesar salad and the 100-mile diet, with over 1 billion hungry people on Earth and even more who are overweight, understanding the "food system" is a hot item on the menu. How do we, and how should we eat for the 21st Century? How do we build the sustainable local and global food systems we want?

You will explore these questions by following food's circular journey - from the farm fields where heirloom and biotech seeds are sown; into chicken McNugget and artisanal cheese factories; out to Walmart, farmers' markets, and restaurants; onto our dinner tables, forks and taste buds; and back to the beginning via composters and landfills.

It's a wild mix, including issues like biotechnology, organic farming, globalization, climate change, peak oil, water scarcity, food security, obesity, hunger, and the global food price crisis. At the centre of this course, and the Certificate program it provides an introduction for, are the practical opportunities and challenges of making food system changes happen on local and global political, economic and ecological levels.

Study the causes and consequences of urban and rural food insecurity across Canada. Struggle with the tensions between short-term stop gaps (foodbanks, meal programs, charitable services) and long-term food justice solutions (education, equitable incomes, affordability and accessibility of healthy food). Bring these realities to life by doing research or field work for a food security organization in your region.

This course will encourage you to explore how the interest in, and practice of, sustainable farming is growing. You will see that although the mainstream agricultural model is widely recognized as unsustainable there is a wide divergence of views on how to create a more sustainable system.

You will begin by exploring the ecological, economic, and social-justice principles of sustainable framing. Following this, you will critically examine different approaches that are being touted as forms of sustainable agriculture including organic farming, food-justice certification, and the use of genetically engineered crops. You will conclude with a review of tools and strategies that non-profit organizations, governments and businesses can draw on to enhance agricultural sustainability. You will note that this is not a training course for farmers, but a course for those who want an overview of sustainable agriculture and how it is practiced across the country.

You will have many opportunities to direct the course of your own learning. You are encouraged to choose readings and assignments to reflect your own interests and knowledge/skill areas you would like to develop.

You will begin by exploring the ecological, economic, and social-justice principles of sustainable framing. Following this, you will critically examine different approaches that are being touted as forms of sustainable agriculture including organic farming, food-justice certification, and the use of genetically engineered crops. You will conclude with a review of tools and strategies that non-profit organizations, governments and businesses can draw on to enhance agricultural sustainability. You will note that this is not a training course for farmers, but a course for those who want an overview of sustainable agriculture and how it is practiced across the country.

You will have many opportunities to direct the course of your own learning. You are encouraged to choose readings and assignments to reflect your own interests and knowledge/skill areas you would like to develop.