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Public Health Implications of U.S. Agriculture and Food Policy

Professor(s)

Semester

2016 Summer - Term 3

About This Class

It is often argued that individual food choice is the ultimate exercise of personal responsibility in our society. But what if that conventional wisdom was challenged, instead recognizing that a complex web of agricultural and food laws substantially influences what ends up on our plates and ultimately affects the health of individuals and communities? These policies, and the regulatory mechanisms supporting them, play a vital role in determining health outcomes for our nation, and accordingly will be explored in depth in this course. In the context of these policies, the course will cover diverse public health issues including Farm Bill and other federal nutrition assistance programs, food access, obesity and malnutrition, food safety and foodborne diseases, genetically engineered foods, organic and other certification schemes, and the debate about food systems and sustainability.

Class Code

ENV5540.A

Subject

Environmental Law