Teaching to End Hunger: Critical Analysis of Food Systems and Poverty

Abstract

The 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development lists ending poverty and hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture as its first two goals for transforming our world. The accomplishment of these goals requires individuals who can think critically about our current food systems. Since 2013, professors at Allegheny College have taught a food and agriculture course entitled Soil to Plate to address questions related to agriculture and food security. The 15-week course covers sustainable farming practices, soil fertility, pest management, and the factors that influence access to high quality food. Methods of introducing content are multi-modal: Field trips, lectures, discussions, guest speakers, cooking lessons, and skype sessions with experts around the world. Weekly field trips are taken to small, medium, and large-scale farms, food processing facilities, food pantries, community gardens, and grocery markets. The course addresses issues of nutrition, food security, food production, poverty, and environmental sustainability applicable to rural Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world. This paper describes our methodology and the tangible outcomes students and graduates have achieved in support of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.