eCHEM 1A: Online General Chemistry College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley http://chemistry.berkeley.edu/echem1a Curriculum and ChemQuizzes developed by Dr. Mark Kubinec and Professor Alexander Pines Chemical Demonstrations by Lonnie Martin Video Production by Jon Schainker and Scott Vento Developed with the support of The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation

Chem 1A, 002 - Spring 2013

In this panel, we will consider the multifaceted links between labor and health. We will examine this relationship in a number of ways, including impacts of poor labor conditions on the health of consumers and implications for food safety, as well as the impacts on workers across the food chain themselves. From migrant farmworkers to meat processing plants to restaurant workers, labor issues are integrally linked with health at every step of our food chain. Our food system is the largest industry employing Americans, and yet, provides the lowest paying jobs. These workers who grow, process, and serve our food often don't have the means to get their own, or to stay healthy. A healthy food chain, thus, is not just one where safe food reaches consumers, but one in which all of the workers along the way are also treated fairly, with proper wages, mandatory sick days, and ample opportunity to lead healthy lives. What are the economic obstacles standing in the way of this goal? What are the regulatory frameworks and policy levers working to address these intertwined issues of labor and health in our food system and how can they be improved to better support our economy as well as public health?

Ecological Economics in Historical Context