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Food Production Systems in Western Europe


Course Description

Multi-disciplinary course in the field of agriculture and its impact on the environment, focused on current Spanish and European agricultural practices and policy. Sessions will be in the form of lectures and field trips to farms, research facilities, processing plants, and markets.


Athena Title

Food Prod Systems West Europe


Non-Traditional Format

This is a 2-3 week course based in Granada, Spain. Traditional lectures given by UGA faculty will be supplemented with field trips and laboratory exercises in order to give students an overview of various aspects of Spanish and European agricultural systems. Lectures and trips will be led by UGA faculty with support from producers and scientists in the Andalusian region in Spain.


Prerequisite

AAEC 2580 or AAEC 2580E or ECON 2106 or ECON 2106H or ECON 2106E or AESC 2050 or ALDR 4600/6600


Semester Course Offered

Offered summer semester every year.


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

The objective of the proposed program will be to give UGA students an overview of the Spanish and European agricultural systems. The curriculum will focus on the issues of sustainable development: social, economic, environmental aspects of European agriculture. This approach should help students develop a global perspective of the Spanish and European agricultural sectors in comparison to these sectors in Georgia and the United States.


Topical Outline

The Food Production, Culture, and Environment program gives students an overview of Spanish agriculture, firsthand experience in food production and environmental stewardship, and the opportunity for cultural immersion. Each topic will include a lecture on the subject material followed by a lab or field trip related to the lecture. Comparisons between the U.S. and Spanish/European systems will be made as appropriate. Topics may vary by year. - Agriculture, food, and environmental training: in and out of the classroom - Mediterranean diet seminar - Visit to various local markets with comparisons to markets in the U.S. - Lecture on fruit production and visit to farm producing tropical fruit - Visit to fish market and auction - Spanish cooking class - Visits to research centers belonging to Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and lectures on research activities at each center - Lecture on olive production and visit to olive farm and detailed description of olive oil production and tasting - Lecture and visits to Spanish ham and sausage production facility - Visit to the Cave-Houses, lecture, and activity on bread and cheese making - Lecture and tour of winery and vineyard