Food, Development and the Global Economy
- Course Code:
- 15PANH042
- Unit value:
- 0.5
- Year of study:
- Year 1 or Year 2
- Taught in:
- Term 2
This course begins with an examination of food disparities in a contemporary world in which as many people suffer from over-nutrition as from under-nutrition. Units on national-level food policy issues and international food trade regimes are followed by an examination of famine, food aid, and more localised famine coping strategies, as well as on food security in both rural and urban milieux. The course then focuses on the environmental dimensions of agricultural intensification and the particular issues raised by agricultural biotechnology, before examining alternative modes of food production (from “indigenous technologies” to organic certification) and “ethical consumption" (from “Fair Trade” to “Slow Food”).
Objectives and learning outcomes of the course
Upon completion of the course, students should recognize, understand, and/or appreciate the following:
- Contemporary labour dynamics in the production of food.
- The role of the state in the market in foodstuffs.
- The impact of global trade and related trade regimes on food production and consumption.
- The significance and effects of biotechnology on the production of food.
- Factors and issues in relation to food security.
- Causes of famine and strategies for preventing/responding to famine
- The historically changing relationship between land and food production.
- The environmental consequences of agricultural intensification.
- Alternative modes of food production, including organic farming and fair trade arrangements.
- The potential role of the consumer in changing the food system.
Students should be aware of the principal actors and agents in the phenomena outlined above.
Students should know where to find information on the above topics, whether books, scholarly journals, popular media, or websites.
Students should be able to identify key debates on the above issues and express informed positions of their own.
Method of assessment
30% of the course mark derives from weekly reading response papers and contributions to seminar discussions; the remaining 70% of the mark is based upon a 2-hour exam.
