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Understand the impact of contemporary food production on the earth’s ecology and resources. Find out where you can start to make impactful choices to build a new paradigm for a sustainable future and lead others to do the same.
Angeli Chitale is a Queen’s University Graduate in Molecular Biology and Genetics. During her final year of post-grad level work in genetic research at the Department of Pathology, she treated her chronic knee injury with natural medicine - nutrition, herbs and supplements. The impact was so life changing, it inspired her to pursue formal studies and training in Naturopathic Medicine. While a student at The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), Angeli pursued further hands-on training in botanical medicine with the Ontario Herbalists Association. Upon graduation, she obtained further qualification in Restorative Medicine for the treatment of Thyroid, Adrenal and other endocrine/metabolic conditions. Angeli believes in contributing to the profession and has served as an Executive Board Member, Medical Editor for the LAND (Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors), Chair of the Naturopathic Legacy Committee and has worked overseas with NGOs such as Naturopathic Doctors International who provides natural medical care to patients in remote and isolated areas of Central America. Here, Angeli supervised clinical care in Women’s Clinics, taught Global Health, Botanical Medicine and Clinical skills to prospective ND candidates from all over North America. Angeli is a professional member of the AARM (Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine) and continues to remain politically active in enabling access to natural health for the Canadian public. Angeli views health as maintaining balance within all aspects of a person: emotional, mental, spiritual, environmental, social, physical - and that healing happens on all levels. When not consulting, Angeli enjoys learning, teaching, writing articles for publication, growing food, hiking, kayaking and landscape painting.
How did we get to a point where 50% of the world’s arable land is used for agriculture? While there is enough food produced to feed every person on this planet 3,500 calories per day, why does one in nine people on the planet go hungry? This course examines the impact of the dominant agricultural systems on the planet’s resources and the ecological crisis of our time. This course will introduce you to the history of agriculture and the development of contemporary food production models. You will examine economic, ecological, and natural principles of sustainability related to food production systems by critically analyzing topics like climate change, genetic resources, soil, water, land, traditional and contemporary food production, globalization, and food access inequities.
This course asks you to examine our role as eaters and consider the potential of localized food economies toward building a new paradigm for a sustainable future.
Upon completion of this course, you will have the ability to:
Section I | Welcome
1. Introduction
2. Course outline
Section II | Nature’s ecology & economy
3. We are earth family: seventh-generation thinking
4. Ecosystem sustainability
5. Sustainability & economics
6. Food production methods
Section III | The rise of modern agriculture
7. Industrial agriculture timeline
8. The rise of the machine
9. Enclosure of the commons
10. Exploitation of nature’s economy
Section IV | Drivers of ecological change
11. Costs of industrial agriculture
12. Five deadly myths of industrial agriculture
13. Can biodiversity & agriculture co-exist?
14. Extractive economies
Section V | Food politics
15. Globalization & the free market
16. Cash crops replace local food
17. In the crossfire: externalities
18. Putting it all together
Section VI | Returning to Tierra Madre (Mother Earth)
19. Small is sustainable (big is not better)
20. Reclaiming the commons
21. Sustainable food production models
Section VII | Conclusion
22. Sustainable food solutions & conclusion