Session 1 – Introductions + the Ecology of Knowledge

Objectives

After completing this session, you will be able to:

• Describe the objectives of the Land, Food and Community series
• Articulate the ecology of knowledge of a university lecture hall
• Articulate key issues around food system sustainability and feeding 9 billion by 2050

Key Terms & Concepts

• Ecology of Knowledge
• Food Systems
• Feeding 9 Billion by 2050

Required Readings and Resources

• Orr, David. 1991. “What is Education for?: Six myths about the foundations of modern education, and six new principles to replace them.” The Learning Revolution (IC#27: 52-56). http://www.context.org/iclib/ic27/orr/
• Feeding Nine Billion Video - Dr. Evan Fraser

What is Education For?

We start every year of LFS 250 by asking the following question: what is education for? The question at the centre of David Orr’s commencement speech to the graduating class of 1990 at Arkansas College is much more suited to students at the beginning of their undergraduate experience. Why are we here, learning in this context, discussing this material? If, as Orr claims, that our most pressing social and ecological problems are the result of decisions made by people with degrees in higher education, why should we invest so much time and energy in education? The Land, Food, and Community series is designed with these questions in mind. We are advocates for education of a certain kind, similar to Orr’s vision - one that helps students see connections, patterns, and the interrelated nature of subject matter, especially amongst food system disciplines.

The Land, Food, and Community Series

In 1999, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems developed a core series of courses, the Land, Food, and Community series, to allow the undergraduate students in the faculty to work on integrative, food system themes. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the faculty, an informal core series of courses had existed in various forms since the 1960s, comprising second and fourth year courses that focused on agricultural systems such as the BC dairy system, fruit and berry production, and range management.

The vision for the new mandatory core curriculum was based on the values and principles of the faculty – integrating research and education to address global issues surrounding health and sustainable food systems. Whereas the previous core series curriculum focused on understanding primary agricultural production, what set the new curriculum apart was the emphasis on food, health, and the environment, with sustainability as the overarching theme. This shift reflected the diversity within the faculty, was more inclusive of the increasingly popular Food, Nutrition and Health program, and was in-line with the fundamental considerations of the social, economic, and ecological domains of sustainability. These required courses were entitled Land, Food and Community (LFC) I, II and III (respectively, LFS 250, 350 and 450). The series was designed to provide opportunities for integration amongst the diverse perspectives and expertise within the faculty without compromising specialization requirements. Students were still expected to gain expert knowledge in their field of specialization but were now required to apply their skills in inter/transdisciplinary, community-based, experiential learning settings.

Here are the learning objectives of the LFC series (as of July 2015)

Upon completion of LFS 100, 150, 250, 350 and 450, students will be able to:

1. Use systems approaches to analyze food issues related to building healthy, sustainable, and just communities, both locally and globally.
2. Select, evaluate, and integrate interdisciplinary evidence relating to food systems issues.
3. Plan, implement, and evaluate actions to address food systems challenges.
4. Collaborate and communicate effectively as members of diverse stakeholder teams.
5. Critically reflect on learning and responsibilities as professionals addressing food systems issues.

For more information on the LFC series and the transformation that occurred within the faculty in the late 1990s, see

Valley, W. (2014). Towards an Ecology of Knowledge for Sustainable Food System Education (Doctoral Dissertation). University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Retrieved from https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/51011/ubc_2015_february_valley_william.pdf?sequence=13

Gudz, N. A. (2004). Implementing the sustainable development policy at the University of British Columbia: An analysis of the implications for organisational learning. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5(2), 156–168. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/14676370410526242

The Ecology of Knowledge

In the LFC series, thinking about how we learn and how knowledge is constructed is as important as what we learn. The theory of the Ecology of Knowledge is centred on a simple question: How do we know what we know? We begin the course with this question because, as we will explore, knowledge and understanding in the food system can emerge from many sources: personal experience, scientific reasoning, local, practitioner, and/or Indigenous ways of knowing. Cultural beliefs and assumptions further influence how we approach food system issues and what we deem “normal” or “acceptable” practices. Before we begin to unravel the complexity of food system issues, we need to first examine how we learn and how we “know” in relation to food, health, culture, and the environment.

Does the knowledge that emerges from learning about food systems from an expert in a lecture hall differ from the knowledge of food systems that emerges from learning in a community kitchen, with a farmer, or with a food scientist in a laboratory? Is it important to develop food literacy skills involved in growing, preparing, sharing food as well as composting? Or is it enough to have a deep understanding of theoretical knowledge from lectures, textbooks, and scientific journals? Discussing the Ecology of Knowledge helps us answer these questions and frame the value of the learning activities that you will be engaged within LFS 250 and throughout the LFC series.