GEOG 307 - What’s in Your Cup? The Geography of What We Drink

What people eat and drink connects them to a global socioecology and a complex exchange of commodities. What’s in Your Cup? uses our daily consumption of beverages to analyze the social and environmental implications of how people live. From the energy used to boil water for a morning coffee to the biota disturbed by farmers across the world, what we drink may be linked to carbon emissions, water pollution, and public health hazards, all of which have implications for consumers and producers alike. Challenges, such as climate change, limited access to land, and market shifts, often leave farmers vulnerable. But there are also many examples of efforts that empower farmers to live well and care for the land, provide consumers access to ethically produced beverages, and initiatives that promote sustainable development. Using examples from around the world students explore the geography of what people drink.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: No First-Year
Area of Inquiry: Social Relations, Inst.& Agents
Liberal Arts Practices: Confronting Collective Challenges and The Process of Writing
Core Component: None

Click here for Course Offerings by term