3 credits
Fall 2025 Lecture Upper Division
We will explore the nature of contemporary United States food policy and key events throughout history that have shaped what it is today. We will investigate and discuss the roles individuals, corporations, and federal, state, and other government agencies play in creating food policy, and how these stakeholders as well as complex sociological and economic factors influence the way Americans eat. These questions will lead us to consider the future of food and food policy in the United States. Can Americans develop food policy that supports the agricultural economy AND promotes the consumption of healthy foods? Could our agricultural system support this? We will learn about and explore these questions with class discussions, debate, research, guest lectures, relevant documentary films, and thought-provoking readings that present a variety of viewpoints. You will explore current, real-life problems and have an opportunity to develop potential solutions.
Learning Outcomes1Summarize key events in the development of U.S food policy.
2Identify the range of stakeholders and key players who shape food policy.
3Critically analyze the pros and cons of food and agriculture-related government interventions in the U.S.
4Debate the effects of contemporary food policy on health (nutrition and obesity).
5Discuss the influence of various sociological and economic factors on nutrition and obesity in the U.S.
6Assess (and propose at least one) potential solution(s) and policy change(s) that could have a positive impact on agricultural economics and the nutritional well-being of individuals in the U.S.
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.