SOC 153 From Where to Table: the Sociobiology of Food

Food is an integral part of our lives, providing nutrients, enjoyment and cultural identification. Yet not all food is created equal and the route from seed to table comes with environmental consequences, risks to human health, and issues of political and social injustice. This course will examine food (crops, livestock and fisheries) production and distribution in California from a sociological and biological base and use GIS mapping to visualize both environmental and sociopolitical patterns related to food. Topics include nutrient cycles, water cycles, microbiology, fisheries biology, and bioengineered crops, as well as the hisotry of the agro-industrial complex, and the politics behind what we eat.