Food Insecurity and Food Policy in the U.S.

Despite the economic recovery following the Great Recession, there continue to be approximately 40 million individuals in the U.S. who experience food insecurity. In this course, we will explore the paradox of how so many people struggle to afford an adequate diet within the borders of the world's top food exporter and the extent to which inequality is embedded in the U.S. food system and in American social policy. We will examine the basic structure of our domestic food system, the causes and consequences of food insecurity, the effectiveness of current public and private responses, and how new challenges in the 21st century may influence current and future strategies. Among the diverse topics we will delve into over the quarter are the recent efforts to reduce access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which remains the primary mechanism for addressing food insecurity; the economic challenges experienced by workers throughout the food system, from farm to table; the intersection of the U.S. food system and immigration; the significant disparities in food insecurity and diet-related illness experienced by communities of color; and emerging ideas for how to establish a more equitable food system.