What role would I play in the food system after taking this course? To be honest, I don't think I will ever have a career in food systems planning. I took this course because I did not know much about the origins of most of our food and how it is distributed among communities in this nation. With that being said, my role in the food system would just be a consumer. Most people don't realize, but consumers have a lot of influence over the products that companies sell, and public policies that are put in place by local planners. If I want to support a a particular brand, I will buy products from that brand and urge my friends to do the same. On the other hand, if I dislike a company's product or practices, I will abstain from buying any of there products and urge my friends to do the same.
But, the only way for consumers to have significant power is if we all stick together and get behind a product or a cause. One consumers decision to buy or boycott a certain product will not get you very far; you need a large group of people to make an actual impact.
It's great that you took this course to gain more knowledge on how food is distributed and how intertwined it has always been in our lives until the past 100 years or so. As a consumer, I agree you have the ability to influence your peers into buying or abstaining from purchasing various foods because you're aware of how great it's influences are in the local community and global market. Hopefully, you'll continue to buy interested in foodie topics and spread awareness through documentaries, seminars, workshops, and more!
ReplyDelete