Farming & Food Systems Focus (BA in Human Ecology)
College of the Atlantic
Description
Understanding food and its production requires insights from history, anthropology, economics, politics, ecology, botany, chemistry, and so on. Accordingly, this program offers a diverse and interdisciplinary set of classes in the area of farming and food systems, such as Agroecology, Edible Botany, The Art and Science of Fermentation, and Agriculture and Biotechnology.
In addition to learning about the ethics, anthropology, and politics of food, there are lots of opportunities to get your hands dirty. Literally. The college owns and operates two organic farms. Classes make use of these farms, and there are opportunities to work on the farms both during the school year and during the productive summer months.
Students who choose to work on farming and food systems at COA do so on different scales. Some focus on learning production techniques and farm management skills, or contributing to local food security and resilience efforts. Others work at the international level to understand food politics and the economics forces that affect agriculture. Students participate in the yearly meetings of the UN Committee on World Food Security and its civil society mechanism or in classes such as French Food Politics and European Political Institutions. On campus, students learn about the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the local effects of international trade regimes.