Everyone Eats: Hunger, Food Security & Global Agriculture

Catalog description

How does reduced rainfall impact the lives of people growing coffee in Hondur... and immigration in the USA? How does increasing consumption of meat in China influence deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest? How do subsidies for cotton in the USA effect cotton growers in Mali and the price of a t-shirt in Italy? These are a few of the complex issues we will explore this semester. ¿ Agriculture affects all of us. Every time we eat, go to the grocery store, or even buy clothing, we are participating in complex agricultural systems that are increasingly more globally integrated. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining both natural and social science theory and scholarship to investigate topics such as climate change, technological applications to agriculture (e.g. GMOs), soil and water usage, the role of culture and local knowledge, and population growth. Over the course of the semester we will investigate issues receiving widespread attention from policymakers, national governments, academics, farmers, consumers, and many others. This class will place a specific emphasis on agriculture in the global South examining issues related to food security. As we explore the issues related to international agriculture, we will confront implications for national and global security, human rights, sustainability, and other ethical questions.