Food, the Connector of Life (CanopyLAB)

Unit 1: Food and Civilization
Unit 2: Food and the City
Unit 3: Food and Climate Change
Unit 4: Food and Peace
Unit 5: Food and Equality
Unit 6: Food and MentalnWellbeing

You are what you eat. What does that phrase mean to you? In this course, we will dig deep into the exploration of this question and reveal how food is a connector of life (both human and non-human life) in ways that extend far beyond the obvious.
The cultivation, processing, distribution, purchase, serving and consumption of food defines what it is to be human in ways that far exceed providing us with energy and nutrition. Whilst we will be touching on the sciences of biology and climatology, as this course is an exploration of how humanity’s quest for food security has shaped and is shaped by our political, economic, social and ecological systems, our focus will mainly be on how we use the humanities and social sciences to help us to better understand scientific discovery and shape new problems (or questions) that lead to discoveries that have the potential to create a more equitable and resilient world for all forms of life.
I have shaped this course in the spirit of my understanding of renowned Harvard Evolutionary Biologist Edward O. Wilson´s explanation of the interdependency of the sciences and the humanities: “Humanists are the shamans of the intellectual tribe, wise (humans) who interpret knowledge and transmit folklore, rituals and sacred texts. Scientists are the scouts and the hunters.” I invite you to come with me on a journey to understand how food is the connector of life as we know it, and how our relationship to food plays a critical role in shaping life in the future. We will be exploring the intersection of food and anthropology, urban studies, climatology, economics, political science, peace studies, human rights, sociology and psychology. Along the way, you will develop your skill as both scout and shaman. Talk about food for thought!