Why the Food Systems Colloquium Could Change Your Life

People need to eat. If you’re a camel, stop reading now. All of us, whether we are vegetarians in PETA or hard-core carnivores in SLC’s version of the organization (People Eating Tasty Animals), have to find our food somewhere somehow. For many of us, that’s Bates and the Pub. For others, it’s Stop & Shop. Regardless of where and what you eat, you need food to survive.

So before you bite into that burger, WAIT! Have you ever thought about what’s in it; who made the patty, where the meat was from, and what happened along the way? If you have, that’s great. If you haven’t, it’s not too late!

Come to the Food Systems Colloquium. It’s for those who are mildly curious about food- about the challenges, issues, systems of cause and effect, and for those who already know their stuff but just want to learn more. Here’s the low-down:

24th of September (Saturday)
10am – 6 pm (Registration starts 9:30am)
Heimbold Donnelley Theatre
(Lunch will be provided)

Some of the speakers include: Professor Joshua Muldavin, Shayna Cohen of Wholesale Greenmarkets and Lucy Jarosz of the University of Washington. They will discuss everything from the history of modern food and agriculture to fresh food in New York.

The Colloquium is not meant to scare anybody. We don’t want to scare carnivores into becoming vegetarians; nor do we aim to confuse everyone on the ethics of egg production and turn vegetarians into vegans. Instead, the organizers have a vision of bringing more information to everyone regarding the food system. Two fun facts: the decisions that shaped our financial crisis have a role in food prices. Secondly, what we eat actually affects climate change. By understanding our relationship to food, we can make a better world.

Also, you’ll be able to understand why your friends from tropical places complain that the bananas in Bates suck. Just a thought.
Whether your goals are big or small, you’ll gain new knowledge from the colloquium. Start somewhere; join us.

RSVP to food_dev_slc@googlegroups.com

Jing Min Chia

Jing Min Chia – who goes by Jeamme, which is pronounced Jamie, a name her mother created – is a Malaysian who loves to eat, cook, write about food and ponder about everything related to food. She reads the BBC, Nature and The Economist like its no tomorrow because she believes it is theoretically possible – and important – to understand how the world actually works. At Sarah Lawrence College she studies Economics, Anthropology, French, Agriculture, Development, plus a medley of sciences and tries to convince her mother that the combination is a good idea.