What should we eat? How do we define "organic" and "local" food? Are current food system practices sustainable? What does food sovereignty mean? Why are approximately 1 billion of the world’s population starving and another 1 billion “stuffed” or overstuffed? Is change possible and where does one begin?

Throughout history, food and cooking have not only been essential for human sustenance, but have played a central role in the economic and cultural life of civilizations. This interdisciplinary exploration of food will take a systems approach as it examines the biology and ecology of food, while also incorporating political, economic, historical and anthropological perspectives around the issue of food security and sovereignty.

More specifically, our interaction with nature through the food system will be viewed through the lens of both science and policy. We will take a biological and ecological approach to the production of plants and animals for food, as well as examine the transformation of the “raw stuff of nature” through the processes of cooking, baking and fermentation. Topics span a range of scales from basic chemistry to agriculture, as we explore the coevolution of humans and their foodstuffs. A study of policy will examine origins of the current global food system and the challenges and opportunities of creating a more equitable food system at the local, national and global scale.

In fall quarter, we will introduce the concept of food systems and analyze conventional and alternative agricultural practices. We will examine the botany of vegetables, fruits, seed grains and legumes that constitute most of the global food supply and their selection through evolution and domestication. Our policy focus will include a study of food system planning at the local level, the role of economics and national policies, the challenges posed by climate change and the role of various food movements.

In winter quarter, we shift our attention to cooking and basic aspects of nutrition. We will examine animal products, as well as the chemistry of cooking, baking and food preservation. Additionally, the structure of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as antioxidants, minerals and vitamins will be discussed.  Seminar will focus on issues of global hunger, obesity, food sovereignty, farm-worker justice, and international food movements.  Finally, we will study the basic physiology of taste and smell, critical for the preparation of food.

In spring quarter, we will examine will examine the relationship between food and microbes from several different perspectives.  Specifically we will examine fermentation, produce specific fermented foods, while studying the underlying microbial ecology.  We will also consider topics in microbiology, as they relate to both food safety and food preservation, and the microbiome of the gut.  Seminar will focus on cultural aspects of food.

Students will directly apply scientific concepts learned in lectures to experiments in the laboratory and kitchen. Field trips will provide opportunities for observing food production, processing and citizen participation in the making of local food policy. Program themes will be reinforced in workshops and seminar discussions focused on topics addressed by such authors as Pollan, Patel and Mintz.