Natural Science 0217 - History of Food

How and why did the foods we eat today get here? Who first thought of domesticating corn or wheat, and how did they do it? How have the ways food is grown changed over time and in different parts of the world? The central theme of this course is the relationship between human cultures and food systems over time. The course considers the ways in which the cultivation of food is both shaped by the ecosystems in which it is grown and changes that ecosystem, both positively and negatively. In addition the course asks how political and social forces affect how food is grown and distributed. Students will discover how an understanding of these dynamics influences our contemporary relationship to the foods we eat. Issues such as the conservation of biological and cultural diversity; the development and sustainability of local ecological knowledge; the loss of top soil and ways in which it can be rebuilt using both innovative and traditional farming methods; the effect of climate change on agriculture; and political policies concerning agriculture, trade and the environment will all be addressed in the course and in students' individual research projects.

Independent Work Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research