The global food system must feed a growing population with richer diets while operating within environmental and social limits. This course introduces that challenge and the policies that shape it. We start with the historical context — Malthus, the Green Revolution, and the drivers of agricultural productivity — then examine how climate change, trade, and geopolitical shocks affect food supplies, and how agriculture itself contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and pressure on fisheries and land. We study domestic food and nutrition policy (food assistance, labeling, the Farm Bill) alongside labor, food safety, and market concentration. The course emphasizes evidence-driven analysis of food and socio-economic data and the real tradeoffs policymakers face among productivity, sustainability, equity, and resilience.