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Politics of Food and Farming

Module description

There are no more fundamental requirements for human beings that than that of bodily sustenance through the consumption of food. The module will provide you with an understanding of how the nature and content of the food we eat is driven by a range of cultural, economic and political forces. We will start with some history as we seek to explain how the immutable requirement for food has combined with population growth, technological change, and changing consumer demand to shift our relationship with food from the immediacy of hunter gathering or subsistence agriculture to the complexities of the contemporary global agro-food system. We will look at both the empirical evidence of transitional change and the theoretical explanations of food systems and networks developed by social scientists. However, our evidence sources will not be confined to social science because, in order to understand the politics of food, we need to understand various natural processes. For example, what does growing food - especially with modern agricultural technology - do to the land and the environment? How is human health affected by the move towards processing and manufacture of food? And in both these cases, and others, how does often contested evidence feed into political campaigns and policy initiatives? No prior knowledge skills or experience are needed to take this module. The module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to provide an understanding of how what we eat is influenced by social, cultural and political drivers. The module makes use of a wide range of published papers and reports and benefits from the module convenor’s direct policy engagement and research commissioned by Government. While the primary focus is on the United Kingdom, many of the issues relate to global trends and pressures.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate knowledge of key issues in the politics of food, agriculture and the environment
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the challenges that arise from these issues

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Locate and use secondary primary data relevant to the specific issue areas
• 4. Undertake inter-disciplinary social science analysis

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through readings and class discussions
• 6. Develop the ability to place issues discussed in a wider context
• 7. Conduct research on a topic and organize findings in written form in a compelling manner

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

• History of Food Supply.
• Food and the State: Twentieth century perspectives.
• Contemporary Political Economy of Global Food.
• Food and Agriculture: Supply Chains, Pressure Groups and Government.
• Food and Human Identity.
• Contested Food: The Politics of Diet and Nutrition.
• Contested Food: The Politics of Farming and the Environment.
• Contested Food: The Politics of New Technologies.
• The Future for Food.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Clapp, J. (2012) Food. Cambridge: Polity.

Lobley, M. Winter, M. and Wheeler, R. (2019) The Changing World of Farming in Brexit UK. London: Routledge.

Mason, P. and Lang, T. (2017) Sustainable Diets. London: Routledge.

Murcott, A. Belasco, W. and Jackson, P.  (Eds.), The Handbook of Food Research. London: Bloomsbury.

Key words search

Food, farming, sustainability, diets, nutrition