The Politics of Food

Course overview

Food production and politics are intimately connected. Decisions about what foods are produced, how they are produced, how food and animals are treated, as well as the personal connections related to food are complex and challenging. Food subsidies, school lunch programs, human and animal rights, the environmental consequences of food choices, and ultimately the health of all humans and other beings are all influenced by politics, lobbyists, and informed consumers. The outcome of this course is for the learner to describe how politics influences the production, treatment, management, and delivery of food in the United States; and how political influences surrounding food ultimately affect the health and well-being of individuals, other beings, communities, and the planet.