Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Course Number:
HE 264
Course Title:
Health, Food Systems, and the Environment
Credit Hours:
Lecture Hours:
Lecture/Lab Hours:
Lab Hours:
Special Fee:

Course Description


Addendum to Course Description

This 3-credit course will assist students in gaining a personal understanding of how food supply and consumption, agriculture, and the environment are related and influence personal and global health. Students will gain an understanding of how each persons personal food choices affects and is affected by the world food situation. Students will have an awareness of the relationship between environmental health, food choice, and personal health.

Intended Outcomes for the course

1. Evaluate how food systems influence global health and economic issues.

2. Analyze personal food choices for their impact on personal, societal, and environmental health.

3. Explore the connections between agriculture practices, food systems, and personal and environmental health.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

  1. Quizzes
  2. Small group discussion
  3. Classroom research projects: survey and analyze
  4. Course projects: film analysis, research papers, etc

Process Skills

Critical Thinking


Problem solving

Decision making

Communication Skills

Written communication skills

Computer literacy

Cooperative group work

Intrapersonal Communication

Values clarification

Reflective writing

Access Skills

Collect qualitative and quantitative data

Access current information

Evaluate validity of information

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

  1. Increase health knowledge in the area of environmental health and food systems.
  2. Explore current research in environmental health and food production.
  3. Understand the relationship between consumer food choices and the environment.
  4. Analyze marketing messages for their influence on consumer food choices.
  5. Compare and contrast food systems for their impact on individual and environmental health.
  6. Explain the concepts of agricultural sustainability.
  7. Relate sustainable agricultural concepts to human health.
  8. Identify examples of sustainable systems.
  9. Explore personal food choices for their impact on personal health and the environment.
  10. Using a historical perspective identify changes in the global food system.
  11. Critique economic implications of local versus global food purchasing
  12. Analyze the connection between the U.S. food supply system and national security.