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There is no human activity more central to life and the way we live than the production and consumption of food. And yet perhaps most of us give little thought to where our food comes from, or how our daily food choices impact the world. This year’s Science, Technology and Society colloquia will explore how technological and scientific advances in agriculture as well as globalization of the food system impact the social and natural worlds.

As countries are pulled into the global economy, food production for local consumption is being increasingly replaced by food production for export, transforming rural communities in the process.The technological advances accompanying this transition hold the promise of increased food production, and yet widespread hunger remains in many parts of the world. A global food economy has increased the variety of foods available to people across the world, but also threatens local food traditions. Whereas agri-business brings us a dizzying array of processed foods, it has also caused a dramatic reduction in the genetic diversity of crops and livestock. Chemical and biological advances in agriculture have increased crop yield but at the cost of widespread pollution. Whereas the global food economy appears to meet the increasing demand for fast, inexpensive food, critics claim that it does so at the cost to health and the social fabric of communities.

The distinguished speakers in this series bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the questions surrounding the production and distribution of food. Anuradha Mittal will help us to kick-off the series by questioning whether food security is threatened by the increasing control of global corporations over the food system. Next, Satish Kumar will invite us to ponder the spiritual dimension of growing, cooking, and sharing food. The last speaker in the fall semester, Eric Schlosser, will offer us a critique of the fast food nation we have become and challenge us to consider how our food choices are tied to both human and animal welfare. In the spring semester, Gary Sojka will moderate a panel that will address the environmental challenges caused by large-scale animal farms. The final speaker, John Ikerd, will ask us to look toward the future and argue that the growing sustainable agriculture movement is our best hope for restoring integrity to the food system.

—Kim Daubman, Faculty Coordinator