JAN 112-01 - Feeding the Future: Regenerative Food Systems for a Climate in Crisis

Level:  100-level

Course Times:  9:15am - 11:55am

Course Materials Fee:  $30

Instructor(s):  Kristen Sbrogna   

Email:  ksbrogna@gmail.com

Food and agriculture relate and connect to all of us, connecting us to our bodies, our families, our cultures, the earth, and our global economy. Food and agriculture also represent a place where the social and ecological, the human and the more-than-human, intra-act and coevolve. More than ever, how we grow and eat food is ripe for investigation, as we become increasingly aware of the impacts of agriculture and diet on human health, social and environmental justice, and climate change.

A growing movement that seeks to shift industrial food systems towards more equitable and sustainable foodways, food justice encourages us to envision solutions to the basic question of how to feed ourselves. Focusing on identity, privilege, and access, students will reflect upon their own personal history and direct experience while also considering local and global perspectives. Examining how food and agriculture can be solutions to our climate crisis, students will analyze case studies of traditional and sustainable agricultural models, including agroecology, regenerative agriculture, permaculture and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge.

Students will uncover their own ancestral food lineage and gain qualitative research practice in their cultural foods final project. Similar to an oral history project (but with a recipe!), students will conduct an interview, prepare one dish, and present their findings. Through additional hands-on and experiential learning and a project in the Saint Mary’s Legacy Garden,  students will deepen their understanding of the complex interconnectedness of food, agriculture, and climate.

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3