Sustainable Consumption graduate course: a project-based approach to learning

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe author of this article was the winner of the Association for the Study of Food and Society’s Pedagogy Award for 2019. This article is based on the winning submission. “Sustainable Consumption,” an elective course in Chatham University’s MA Food Studies Program, has run yearly since 2012. The course is designed with the goal of exploring how one would define and then operationalize the concept of a “sustainable diet.” The course considers sustainable consumption from the point of view of food system stakeholders: the farmer and producer; the aggregator and distributor; the retailer and institution; and the consumer. In each case, we remember the diversity of our population economically, racially and ethnically, geographically – and ask how they fit into and benefit from (or not) conventional and alternative food systems. To explore these issues, the course relies on core readings, targeted field trips, guest speakers and project work.