Food Sovereignty at the Roots

In this experiential program, students will explore multiple dimensions of food sovereignty. Indigenous food sovereignty is a central focus of the program, which we will study via field trips to tribal farms and exchanges with the House of Welcome garden. Access to food, healthy soil, and seeds are aspects of food sovereignty; however, to liberate the food system, a community needs to be nutrient sovereign. Students will learn about the many benefits of using urine as fertilizer, like its viability as a reliable nutrient source, its potential in reducing environmental pollution from wastewater treatment systems, and its potential in empowering communities through the harvesting of nutrients from our own bodies. This win-win-win scenario is referred to as “pee-cycling” and will be the focus of a capstone project that involves collecting urine at home. We will dive into the political economy of agricultural inputs and “waste” management by studying the corporate concentration of power in these areas of the food system along with their intersections with environmental justice. We will further explore contemporary and historic examples of how communities around the world traditionally manage excrement (e.g., pee and poo). Social movements are another major aspect of food sovereignty, so we will include studies of how local communities are building broad based movements for food sovereignty, including creating alternative economies based on circularity and solidarity. This program will be taught in close collaboration with faculty member Krisztina Mosdossy and the summer program at the Organic Farm (collaborations include shared seminars, workshops, field trips, and labs). Additional hands-on learning will occur at the campus Organic Farm along with cooking workshops and art making from crop plant pigments at the Sustainable Agriculture Lab.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

4 - Food and Nutrient Sovereignty

4 - Capstone Project: Urine Nutrient Reclamation