This week I started working on my first online class, watched a documentary, and listened to some podcasts. My original senior project involved working with different farms, both rural and urban. to study the sustainable methods they used and how they impacted the community they provided for. These internships are obviously not possible now that we have to self-quarantine, however, I still wanted to stay on the topic of sustainability. I decided to focus on food sustainability and hope to learn new ways I can be more sustainable in my everyday life. I took the food sustainability class last year so I already have some knowledge about food sustainability.

This week so far, I have focused a lot on health and the impacts of certain diets which was really interesting. I think human behavior and habits are often left out of the conversation when looking at food sustainability. I looked at the evolution of diet and how these changes have affected culture, health, and the environment. Our eating habits have a huge impact on the planet, especially since the Western diet, which relies on meats and processed foods, is becoming more widespread. The impact of this Western diet on our health was also really upsetting to learn about. Cases of heart disease, diabetes, many cancers, and more are almost always a direct effect of an unbalanced diet. Today, the average American eats more calories than their body needs but also lacks the vitamins and nutrients needed to be healthy. The common culture around food informs what is produced. In our case, this means the mass production of things like meat and corn. It was also important for me to think about who has access to healthy foods and who doesn’t. It was really helpful for me to start by looking at food sustainability through the lens of health and the role that food plays in common culture.