Course Description
With climate-related shocks and pandemic stressors adding to existing hazards facing global food systems today, it is critical to examine the system and its vulnerabilities. Students in this course will review the most recent and selected literature, lead discussions, and propose solutions to make food fair and available to everyone.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
In-depth exploration of a topic relevant to "sustainable food system" as it relates to a student's own professional development goals (mini-research project, service learning, or volunteer experience). Individual presentation of student's term paper (project) for peer evaluation.
Athena Title
Global Food Systems
Undergraduate Prerequisite
ADSC 2010 or ADSC 2010E or AESC 2050 or ALDR(AFST)(LACS) 3820 or ALDR(AFST)(LACS) 3820E or ANTH 1102 or ANTH 1102E or BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1103E or BIOL 1107 or CRSS 2010 or ECOL 1000 or ECOL 2100 or GPST 3000 or INTL 1100 or permission of department
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, students should be able to: • Define ‘Sustainability, Food Systems, Resiliency" and discuss challenges facing the sustainability of food systems • Articulate how well-functioning global food systems impact our daily lives • Critically analyze system inequities and trade-offs (between production and resource/environmental costs) • Analyze and critique relevant literature examining the processes and outcomes of food systems resiliency through an interdisciplinary perspective • Practice communicating ideas and leading discussions on food systems through an oral presentation to peers • Develop and articulate personal commitment to making nutritious, safe, and affordable food available to everyone
Topical Outline
1) Sustainability of food systems (challenges to feeding 9 billion people; production chain/value chain) 2) Resilient food systems 3) Food, values, and culture; changes in demographic (number, age, ethnicity-migration, urbanization, income) effecting food choices (culinary art) and its impact on over and undernutrition 4) Food and nutrition security 5) Food production: a way of life (small scale/local vs. industrial production; organic vs. traditional) 6) Impact of food systems (production, processing, transport, safety, and waste) on the environment 7) Food access and equity (poor vs rich; global north vs. global south) 8) International, national, institutional/organizational, and individual roles in making food fair and healthy for everyone
Syllabus