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How Did We Get Here?
The Development of the “Modern” Food System

Session 5

Summary
What are the origins of today’s agricultural system? Learners map the geographic origins of common foods and evaluate how changes in food-related technologies impact their eating habits. Then, learners read short selections about historic points in agriculture and create a timeline of significant global “food events” such as Columbus' voyage, the introduction of synthetic fertilizers, and the “green” revolution.

Guiding Questions

  • How did today’s food system develop?
  • What are the key historical events?
  • How are these historical events related?
  • What is technology? How has it developed in relation to agriculture?

Big Ideas

  • Technology related to food has changed over time, and this has impacted the overall food system.
  • Key points in “food history” include the agricultural revolution, Columbus’ voyage, the Scientific Revolution, the “green revolution,” the development of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and the “gene revolution.”
  • Each of these developments created changes in how food was produced and consumed.  Each development was also driven by specific assumptions about the meaning of “progress.”

Session 5 Materials:

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"Changing my farming techniques from a conventional operation to an organic operation significantly improved my profitability and bottom line . . . One thing we eliminated from our economic necessity is an operating note. We'd borrow a large amount of money from the bank in the spring and hope to pay it off in the fall when we sold our crops. We don't have to do that now. I think that pretty well speaks for itself."

Bob Quinn, Big Sandy, Montana - Chouteau County from People Sustaining the Land by Cynthia Vagnetti, 2002.