Throughout the course, students learn the facts behind sustainable food in addition to educating the public through the fair and planning the event. On the syllabus is Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food but we also hear from guest lecturers such as leaders of the local Slow Food chapter and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives. We interview local farmers, keep track of our own consumption, and posted weekly about our sustainability-related actions (even when we're not being so environmentally-conscious).
Overall the class is grounded in the importance of real-life applications of sustainability in the world of food.
Clearly, one more thing we learn in the class is the importance of very cool t-shirts!
"My understanding of sustainability has shifted from theoretical to practical applications through the course of this class. I have some experience with sustainability-focused courses at Emory and I try to be aware of sustainable practices in my life, but this class allowed me to specifically point out what I can do that will make a difference for future generations. For example, instead of just acknowledging that biodiversity is important for our planet, I can now pinpoint some species that are in danger and inform my purchasing and eating habits with respect to that knowledge. The Slow Food guest lecturer was very helpful in driving home the ways in which biodiversity loss is influenced by industrial farming and corporate supermarkets."
The class teaches us to look closer into the food supply chain.
"What I found particularly interesting was the realization...about how surface level the information we are supplied with is; for example, I knew that eating red meats created greenhouse gas emissions, but I never knew exactly how this process caused emissions or the astounding rate at which emissions in this field were produced...The news about the recent Amazon rainforest fires did not receive media coverage for days after they began, and even after, major outlets did not highlight the fact that the fires were started in order to create grazing land for the beef production industry."
Throughout the process of tabling we learned more effective ways of communicating about issues in sustainable food.
"My goal was to provide each table visitor with a concise, but persuasive message pertaining to the benefits of purchasing and eating grass fed beef. Though I was nervous as the first few guests approached, I was quickly able to gain the confidence needed to provide our guests with a significant amount of important information. After two hours of working the grass fed beef table and welcome table, I was fortunate enough to be selected to speak on the Emory University Instagram and provide the entire campus with a blurb pertaining to the significance of grass fed beef."
It's also impacted the way we eat and live and given us more tangible ways of reducing our carbon emissions and contributing to our local food scene, even on campus.
“I find myself checking ingredient lists, labels, and origins of food at the grocery store. I have also started eating less meat and question how sustainable the food I am eating is when I go out for dinner. As a college student, to eat more sustainably, one can reduce meat intake, eat local food, shop at farmers markets, and can research the ingredients, packaging, water use, and other aspects of foods they regularly buy and eat. Because of this class I think I will continue to check how far my food had to travel to get to me as well as the ingredient list to check for unnatural additives. I also think I will become more involved in the maintenance of the Eagle Row Garden...take home portions of the harvest and learn how to garden without pesticides and with natural fertilizers, such as compost.”
"One habit that has changed is how I utilize the Emory Farmer’s Market. I have always gone just to get lunch each week but I have started buying my produce there as well."
"I know Emory Dining is intentional about serving local and seasonal produce from Georgia and the surrounding states...If I’m craving a burger, I know that all of the beef patties at Emory are from grass-fed beef. However, I do try reduce my red meat consumption by choosing other alternatives such as chicken because I’m aware of the numerous resources involved to raise cows and the large amount of methane cows release... I’m going to the Tuesday Farmers Market more often now and I’ll buy a snack to treat myself from there rather than pick up a candy bar from the convenience store. Doing do has led to me foster community relationships with vendors such as Ray who sells Cuban food and makes some great flan!"
"Seeing everyone post their plants and home-cooked meals in our Facebook group has inspired me to try new recipes. In the past two months, I have roasted broccoli and onions for the first time, and I just made my own salad dressing to minimize buying packaged dressing weekly! I will definitely help tend the Greeks Go Green garden and attend future FACE dinners."