Examining the Food System

The food system is made up of several elements including food production, processing, distribution, access/retail/marketing, consumption, and waste recovery. There are many graphics that depict the food system, with varying levels of complexity. I’ve included a few examples in the slides. As we start the class, this assignment involves considering the various aspects of the US food system and then selecting one part of it to examine.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on which element of the food system you’re most curious about and what concerns or creative ideas you have about this part of the food system. We will repeat this assignment later in the semester so that you can reflect on what you’ve learned. It’s also to document how your thoughts and ideas on the food system might change and evolve during this class.

Instructions

The basic components of the food system are: food production, processing, distribution, access/retail/marketing, consumption, and waste recovery, but some food system graphics include other elements. You can choose any element of the food system that you’d like to examine. Please write a one page (250-word) paper addressing the following in paragraph form:

• Which element of the food system will you examine and why?
• How well do you think this aspect of the food system is working? Do you currently know of any benefits or adverse impacts of this element of the food system?
• What are your concerns about this part of the food system?
• What ideas do you have to improve this part of the food system?
• Since the food system is a complex adaptive system, how do you think your ideas would impact other components of the food system?

The Canvas Student Guide provides

.