Course Spotlight: Local to Global Food Values: Policy, Practice and Performance
Local to Global Food Values: Policy Practice and Performance will be offered through Boston University’s Summer Term 2. This class will meet on Monday and Wednesday evenings, beginning on July 6 with a final class on August 10. To register, please visit http://www.bu.edu/summer/courses/gastronomy/ .
What are “good” foods and trustworthy standards and measurements of value? Who regulates or labels claims such as “local,” “natural,” “sustainable,” or “(non)GMO” and why should consumers care? These are the basic policy (government), practice (food-industry), and performance (case study) issues course participants systematically probe and debate during this six-week Summer Term II BU Gastronomy seminar. Each week clarifies and compares distinct environmental, economic, cultural, political, and nutritional frameworks of value. Readings, discussions, and hands-on exercises aim to develop professional and personal knowledge and skills for those working in food research, production, marketing, or advocacy, or more generally interested in understanding the science and technology, language and cultural politics, guiding U.S. and global food systems. The course is open to master’s level or advanced undergraduates.
Professor Ellen Messer is a Food and Nutrition Anthropologist heading BU Gastronomy’s Food Policy track.