An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health
4.7
49 ratings
An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
课程信息
A food system encompasses the activities, people and resources involved in getting food from field to plate. Along the way, it intersects with aspects of public health, equity and the environment. In this course, we will provide a brief introduction to the U.S. food system and how food production practices and what we choose to eat impacts the world in which we live. We will discuss some key historical and political factors that have helped shape the current food system and consider alternative approaches from farm to fork. The course will be led by a team of faculty and staff from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. Guest lecturers will include experts from a variety of disciplines, including public health, policy and agriculture.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Is Climate Change Vindicating Malthus? Food Security and the Right to Food
Welcome to our short course on the U.S. food system. In this first series of lectures, we dig into the very important concepts of food systems, food security and intergenerational equity and begin to explore what we eat, how that food is produced, and how our dietary choices impact our health and the health of the planet. This broad overview lecture lays the foundation for the rest of the course.
10 videos (Total 102 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
10 videos
The Vicious Spiral and the CLF Concept Model I (Lawrence)9m
The Vicious Spiral and the CLF Concept Model II (Lawrence)13m
The Vicious Spiral and the CLF Concept Model III (Lawrence)7m
Food Production, the Ecosystem, Diet, and Public Health I (Lawrence)9m
Food Production, the Ecosystem, Diet, and Public Health II (Lawrence)13m
Food Production, the Ecosystem, Diet, and Public Health III (Lawrence)9m
Intergenerational Equity and the Right to Food I (Lawrence)8m
Intergenerational Equity and the Right to Food II (Lawrence)9m
Intergenerational Equity and the Right to Food III (Lawrence)12m
5 readings
Course Syllabus10m
Optional Textbook, "Intro to US Food System: Health, Environment and Equity"5m
Pre-Course Survey10m
Optional: Research Study on MOOC participation5m
Week 1 Readings and Resources15m
1 practice exercises
Week 1 Quiz (required)30m
2
Section
Food System Sustainability and Resilience
This lesson expands on the concepts of food system sustainability and resilience, and describes strategies that could dramatically improve the food system and the ability of future generations to feed themselves.
5 videos (Total 81 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
5 videos
Converging Crises (Neff)18m
Wasted Food: Putting 40% of Our Food Supply in the Landfill (Neff)9m
What We Can Do: Policy, Sustainable Diets, and More (Neff)17m
Food Resilience: No Regrets; Conclusions: Don’t Press Snooze! (Neff)17m
1 readings
Module 2 Readings and Resources15m
1 practice exercises
Module 2 Quiz (required)30m
3
Section
Ecological Perspectives on Food Production
The 1938 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture stated, “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil ... There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together”. In this module, we will take a very brief look at the importance of methods of food production for sustainability, resilience, food security and health.
7 videos (Total 79 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
7 videos
Soil Composition (Kim)6m
Soil Ecosystem Services (Kim)4m
Soil Degradation (Kim)10m
Soil Conservation Measures (Kim)11m
Modern Agriculture (Kirschenmann)20m
Limits to Therapeutic Intervention (Kirschenmann)12m
1 readings
Week 3: Readings and Resources15m
1 practice exercises
Week 3 Quiz (required)30m
4
Section
Food Animal Production and Public Health
We will now examine the livestock and seafood industries, which we have touched on in previous modules as a key driver of the global food system. As incomes rise around the world, so too does the global collective appetite for meat. Some of our greatest challenges and debates of the 21st century are rooted in the rising demand for animal protein in an era of dwindling resources and climate change. NOTE: This lecture refers to other lectures offered in this or related full for-credit courses at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
7 videos (Total 99 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
7 videos
What Are We Feeding Food Animals?17m
Antibiotic Use in Industrial Food Animal Production22m
International Food Animal Production4m
How Much Seafood Do People Eat, and Which Do We Eat Most?12m
How and Where Is Seafood Caught and Produced?6m
How Does Seafood Production Impact the Environment and Public Health?25m
1 readings
Module 4 Readings and Resources15m
1 practice exercises
Week 4 Quiz (required)30m
5
Section
Food and Farm Policy Perspectives
In the next set of lectures, we begin to explore food and farm policy, a huge and complex topic. Roni Neff returns with an overview of the history and content of the current farm bill and why it really should be called a ‘food bill’, considering the magnitude of its impact on public health. Then Mark Winne will share his experiences as an advocate for community food security and regional food systems here in the U.S. For those of you interested in the international perspective of food policy, we have provided in the readings list a link to a terrific talk by Olivier deSchutter, the former UN special rapporteur on the Right to Food.
8 videos (Total 149 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
Overview and History of the Farm Bill II14m
What Is in the Farm Bill? I17m
What Is in the Farm Bill? II16m
Farm Bill Politics14m
History25m
Future Perspective29m
Update with Keeve Nachman18m
1 readings
Week 5 Readings and Resources15m
1 practice exercises
Week 5 Quiz (required)30m
6
Section
Improving Food Systems: Stories from the Field
In this final module of the course you will hear from real people working to build a healthier, more sustainable food system. First, Michael Heller of Clagett Farm in Maryland will share his farming philosophy and how he links his farm to the local community near Washington DC. Then you’ll hear about Meatless Monday as an example of using health communication campaigns to change the food system from the demand-side. The optional Honors lesson includes two short films produced by CLF showcasing projects and people around the U.S. that are improving the food system from field to plate.
8 videos (Total 142 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
8 videos
Introduction20m
Criteria7m
Local Food Systems10m
Advocacy for Better Health and a Smaller Footprint: The Meatless Monday Campaign22m
Community Food Systems, Business, and the Green Economy19m
Functions of a Food Policy Council13m
Why the Food Movement is Spreading38m
Food as Part of a New, Broader Concept of Health9m
5 readings
Week 6 Readings and Resources (**includes a Required Reading)0m
Optional Video: Meatless Monday -- a simple idea sparks a global healthy food movement: Peggy Neu at TEDxManhattan (YouTube)20m
Post Course Survey10m
VIDEO: Out To Pasture: The Future of Farming40m
VIDEO: Food Frontiers40m
1 practice exercises
Week 6 Quiz (required)30m
4.7
Top Reviews
By RD•Apr 29th 2018
Loved it! I recommend it to anyone new to public health, horticulture, agriculture, farming, agroecology and the like. I wish I took this course sooner. A+
By YF•Aug 28th 2017
I really enjoyed learning about all the different aspect surrounding the U.S. food system. The video lectures were very clear and informative!
Instructors
Keeve Nachman, PhD, MHS
Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Robert S. Lawrence, MD
Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Pamela Rhubart Berg
Food Systems Education Program ManagerAbout Johns Hopkins University
The mission of The Johns Hopkins University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.
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