Natural Resources Conservation 554 - Sustainable Food Systems
Spring
2026
01
3.00
Eric Thomas
M W 2:30PM 3:45PM
UMass Amherst
81290
Holdsworth Hall room 211
ehthomas@umass.edu
78195
Food systems, sovereignty, and security remain issues of concern for producers, consumers, and policymakers at the dawn of the 21st Century, despite significant advances in transportation and technology. This course addresses these concerns by approaching food, the environment, and sustainability from an environmental anthropology perspective?critically examining the relationship between what we eat and who we are. Over the course of the semester, we will compare past, present, and future food systems in the United States with those in other parts of the world. We will also explore topics including food security, nutrition, aid, immigration, climate change, sustainable livelihoods, and cultural production and diffusion.
Open to seniors and graduate students in Sustainability Science, NRC, ECO, ENVIRSCI, GeoSciences, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. Runs simultaneously with EnvSci 554. Juniors admitted with permission of instructor.