<p>One of the things D found interesting in her Health class was the movie Food, Inc., and the issues with how food is produced. Working to promote better conditions, safety issues, etc. might be interesting, but what major(s) might lead to that sort of job? The only one I came up with so far is Food Science which is offered at several places such as tOSU.</p>
<p>Other thoughts?</p>
<p>Food Science.</p>
<p>Something like that is probably available at your own home-state Ag/Tech institution. If not in the Ag division, look in the division that used to be called Home Economics.</p>
<p>would anything in nutrition or consumer education be interesting to her?</p>
<p>Check out majors within the college of agriculture at your state universities. Many have majors, programs and a wealth of courses that cover these interests. I think there’s a preconception that students who study at the school of agriculture are all training to be farmers. That’s an idea about a century out of date 
BTW, I enclose a link to a program your daughter might find interesting. It’s at University of California, Davis, but I’m sure there are other schools that have similar programs. </p>
<p>[Welcome</a> to Food Science & Technology — UC Davis Food Science & Technology](<a href=“http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/]Welcome”>http://foodscience.ucdavis.edu/)</p>
<p>this can overlap with Biotechnology or Public Health as well as Nutrition. Look at the career info on the College Board or [url=<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/ooh/]Home”>http://www.bls.gov/ooh/]Home</a> : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<a href=“the%20Department%20of%20Labor”>/url</a>. Be sure to look at the info on related careers, there are lots of different directions she could go in.</p>
<p>Or things like biology or biochemistry. Or public policy, or economics.</p>
<p>Food Science. Look at state schools with strong ag schools. Rutgers has a well-regarded program:</p>
<p>[Food</a> Science, Rutgers SEBS](<a href=“http://foodsci.rutgers.edu/]Food”>http://foodsci.rutgers.edu/)</p>
<p>Here’s a list of accredited food science programs:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/learn-about-food-science/become-a-food-scientist/approved-undergrad-programs.aspx[/url]”>http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/learn-about-food-science/become-a-food-scientist/approved-undergrad-programs.aspx</a></p>
<p>Nutritionalist/Dietician jobs come to mind. Not sure what training would be required. But know that many other majors (science, engineering, business, maybe even nursing) would have grads in the food industry. </p>
<p>Hopefully other posters would have suggestions for finding job shadow opportunities. That might be really helpful here. How nice Op’s daughter was sparked by an interest.</p>
<p>School of Agriculture at our university has a fascinating variety of courses that go from the usual Nutrition and farming to global sustenance and health issues, economics of food distribution etc, food safety. I met one young man who had done study-abroad to provide farming techniques and food sustenance to people in Africa–he was planning on turning it into his career.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what she wants to do really–the food science programs are more about developing more foods, better quality foods, etc. It sounds like she wants to work in the production area making the assembly lines more productive/safe, etc.</p>
<p>^I think more along the lines of public policy regarding food production - for example, trying to change current practices of confining pigs to tiny cages by the thousands where they can never even turn around for their whole lives.</p>
<p>I have to get the movie, so I can see what it is in particular that she finds compelling.</p>
<p>gouf78 - which school is that?</p>
<p>To change "current practices’ she would probably need to be a lobbyist, work for PETA or something like that. Maybe a degree in an Agriculture major related to food production with some government courses as a back up, then work to get on some farm councils or something like that to work from within the system for the changes. I hate to say she will be fighting a losing battle there though but it’s worth a try if she really wants a go at that.</p>
<p>I am working with a student who is applying for this area at Colorado State University; the variety of majors in this area at that school is astonishing…</p>
<p>If interested in public policy, I would recommend Econ.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of ag/food related degree programs at most land grant schools. Examples…</p>
<p>Global Resource Systems major at Iowa State…
[Global</a> Resource Systems - Global Resource Systems](<a href=“http://www.globe.iastate.edu/]Global”>http://www.globe.iastate.edu/)</p>
<p>Multi-disciplinary themes will be developed in the context of the physical, biological and sociological factors affecting global resource systems. In this context, resource systems will include natural resources, agricultural resources (including crops, livestock and aquaculture), human resources, institutional resources, physical and biological resources, food and energy resources, knowledge resources, financial resources, and other related resources.</p>
<p>The Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS) interdisciplinary degree program at Montana State University…
[Sustainable</a> Food and Bioenergy Systems (SFBS)](<a href=“http://sfbs.montana.edu/index.htm]Sustainable”>http://sfbs.montana.edu/index.htm)</p>
<p>The B.S. degree program in Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems focuses on ecologically sound, socially just, and economically viable farming methods, food and health, and other food and bioenergy system-related issues. It emphasizes the interconnected processes of crop and animal production, processing, distribution, and utilization for food and/or bioenergy</p>
<p>Perhaps she should become a documentary film maker?</p>
<p>I agree with SteveMA that she probably couldn’t change anything from within the system; pressure for these types of changes generally come from consumers who have become excited about the issue. I did read something lately about the pigs sylvan mentioned, and I recall commercials earlier this year about the free range animals (was it for Chipotle?) I know more people who go to Whole foods for organic meat these days because of publicity about animal conditions.</p>
<p>There are environmental groups which work with businesses to be more green. They employ a variety of majors, from scientists to economists.</p>
<p>She could be on the forefront of a growing movement - some of the programs Haystack mentioned look like they could be interesting for her.</p>
<p>Your daughter could start her policy initiative and learn a little about economics by asking her parents to stop buying mass produced meat. Buy from local producers using sustainable, natural, and humane processes. It is not easy to do. She might look for a list like this for your state, and see how can she can learn and help. </p>
<p>[Eat</a> Wild - Iowa](<a href=“http://www.eatwild.com/products/iowa.html]Eat”>EatWild - Iowa)</p>
<p>I’ve seen that movie and it’s definitely an eye-opener! That movie is the reason I now buy cage-free eggs :)</p>
<p>I agree that a major like Food Science would be a good choice, or even something as general as biology. Maybe an Environmental Science major?</p>
<p>NC State University</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/degree_programs.htm[/url]”>http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/degree_programs.htm</a></p>
<p>
Our land grant school (New York State) is Cornell. Not a possibility. However some of the other states would be. </p>
<p>Helpful suggestions all :)</p>
<p>Michael Pollan, who has probably done more than any other single living person to change the way people think about food, majored in English Literature at Bennington. Rachel Carson, to whom the foregoing sentence would apply if you struck the word “living,” was originally an English major at Chatham College, but switched to biology.</p>
<p>I know three young people with serious interests in this area. One is currently at the Ag School at Cornell and (I think) majoring in Plant Science, although he may have switched to Environmental Science and Sustainablity. One went to Hamilton, and was initially an Environmental Science major, but as his interests shifted more and more to agriculture and food did a design-your-own major on Philosophy of Agriculture. The college could not have been more supportive – he got funding for research, they paid a SUNY professor who was expert in the area to supervise him, and they put up seed money and a huge purchase commitment for a CSA project he started. He had a dream college career. The third was a kind of Linguistics major at NYU who got into food issues working at an organic farmer’s market.</p>
<p>In other words, there are lots and lots of ways to skin the cat, and it doesn’t always actually matter whether a college has a major that sounds right or not.</p>