Course Description
Multi-disciplinary course in the field of agriculture and its impact on the environment focused on current Asian agricultural practices and policies. Emphasis on harvesting and processing techniques and technologies of plant/animal products found in traditional dishes. Sessions in the form of lectures and trips to farms, processing plants, and markets.
Athena Title
Food Prod Systems in Asia
Non-Traditional Format
This is a 2-3 week course based in Japan. 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 Japanese agricultural systems. Lectures and trips will be led by UGA faculty with support from producers and scientists in Japan.
Prerequisite
AAEC 2580 or AAEC 2580E or ECON 2106 or ECON 2106H or ECON 2106E or AESC 2050 or ALDR 4600/6600 or ALDR 4600E/6600E
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every even-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The objective of the proposed program will be to give UGA students an overview of the Japanese and Asian agricultural systems. The curriculum will focus on the issues of sustainable development: social, economic, and environmental aspects of Asian agriculture. This approach should help students develop a global perspective of the Asian agricultural sectors in comparison to these sectors in Georgia and the United States. Students will be able to: 1. Describe - in both qualitative and quantitative terms - the animal and plant industries around Japan. 2. Explain the challenges and opportunities facing people involved in the animal and plant industries of Japan relative to local, U.S., and other global markets. 3. Compare and contrast differences and similarities between animal and plant production systems and management practices in the U.S. and Japan. 4. Describe instances that represent the rich history and art in Japan. 5. Increase written and oral communication skills through presentations and writing.
Topical Outline
The Food Production, Culture, and Environment program gives students an overview of Asian 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 Japanese/Asian systems will be made as appropriate. Topics may vary by year. o Agriculture, food, and environmental training: in and out of the classroom o Japanese diet seminar (history and when, where, and what is consumed) o Visit various local markets with comparisons to markets in the U.S. o Wagyu and beef production o Visit the meat market and auction o Sake production o Sushi and fish consumption o Soy sauce production o Green Tea production and inclusion in the diet o Rice production and inclusion in the diet o Thoroughbred racing o Cultural visits (Temples vs. shrines, Ryokans and Onsens, Japanese castles and architecture, Japanese emperor and politics, art, nightlife and karaoke, and sumo wrestling)
Syllabus
Public CV