Day: First Five Tuesdays
Time: 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: Bren Hall 4016
Enrollment Code: 56176
Description:
Where does your food come from? Who grew and processed it? How has its journey to your plate affected our planet's societies, soil, water and biodiversity? These questions are part of the debate about the future of our food - Are local food systems more energy efficient, nutritious and socially beneficial? Are genetically-engineered crops and food necessary to feed the future population, and are they safe? Does WalMart becoming the biggest retailer of organic food change the meaning of "organic"? Should the US be in the business of growing food, or should we import it from places where it can be grown more cheaply? We will begin to answer these questions for the global and local levels, including our own region and campus.
Professor David Cleveland, Environmental Studies, his research focuses on small-scale agriculture, including farmer and scientist knowledge in plant breeding, the potential effects of genetically-engineered crops, and the dynamics of farmland loss and conservation. He teaches four courses: World Agriculture, Food and Population, Small-Scale Food Production, Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, and Evolution Use & Conservation of Food Crop Diversity.
Email: cleveland@es.ucsb.edu
