Paper topics:
Chose something you are interested; something related
to your major; at a minimum, it should be loosely related to class.
General Themes:
Option 1. Scenario building: choose a country and evaluate choice
of where/how/what food you chose for the 21st Century, and the impact these
choices/policies will have on all sectors of environment & on society.
You might want to evaluate food in both qualitative and quantitative terms. It means that you not only focus on the quantity/yield of food, but also the nutritional value, cultural significance, social accessibility and other issues.
Option 2. Or you might want to explore a specific issue related to
the following topics:
1. Food and politics
What kind of policies are currently regulating food production and
consumption in the U.S.? Select one of the policies that you are interested
(e.g. subsidies to agriculture, school lunch programs) and discuss the purpose
and impact of the policy to the U.S. and global food market, to the U.S.
farmers and agribusinesses, as well as to the U.S. foreign policy.
2. Food and culture
What is the culture significance of maize in Mexican culture? Why
do local people object to the introduction of GM corns?
How has McDonaldization changed food consumption in different
countries in the world? Do you support its expansion or do you oppose to it?
3. Food and environment
What are the life-cycle environmental costs associated with the
production of a specific food stuff in country Y? What modifications could be
made into reduce the environmental impact associated with the production of
this foodstuff?
4. Food and health
Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are some of the
main health threats in the U.S. How much are those diseases related to food
consumption habits? What are your suggestions for a healthier diet?
Oct 16 is the UN World Food Day http://www.fao.org/wfd/2006/index.asp.
Why is food security an important issue? What are the threats and how do they
originate?
5. Food and Climate Change
How
would climate change impact the production of foodstuff X in country Y? How
might country Y best adapt to maintain food security in the face of climate
change?
Example topics from
last year:
How
would climate change impact the production of foodstuff X in country Y? How
might country Y best adapt to maintain food security in the face of climate
change?
|
Vegetarian/Vegan
Teenagers in the U.S. |
|
|
|
Food and Beverage
Marketing to the American Youth |
|
|
|
How Healthy is the
National School Lunch Program? |
|
|
|
Obesity and Poverty in
the United States |
|
|
|
The Limitations of the
Food Stamp Program |
|
|
|
Fast food and health
(obesity) |
|
|
|
Investigating the
Relationship between Cultural Diets and Type 2 Diabetes in Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders |
|
|
|
The Face of Fast Food |
|
|
|
water scarcity in the
Middle East and S Asia |
|
|
BrazilŐs Alternative
Fuel: Sugar cane based Ethanol |
|
|
Cellulose Ethanol as
an Environmentally Friendly Alternative Fuel |
|
|
The Loss of Arable
Land in the United States |
|
|
Corporate Social
Responsibility: the relationship between fair trade and the environment |
|
|
The Hidden Motives and
Effects of International Food Aid |
|
|
Effects of the Green
Revolution in India |
|
|
The
Value of Soy in the American Diet |
|
|
Sustainable
Cacao Production in Africa |
|
|
Environmental
and Economic Impacts of Peanut Cultivation in the US |
|
|
Scientist,
Consumer, Lobbyist, Business and Policy: |
|
|
Where do you buy food? |
|
|
The Wal-Martization of
the Organics Industry |
|
|
Rise of supermarkets
in China |
|
|
Plight of small
farmers |
|
|
Community Supported
Agriculture |
|