Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment
| Module title | Food and Sustainability: Economy, Society and Environment |
|---|---|
| Module code | SOCM045 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Matt Lobley (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
This module surveys the ways in which food production and consumption is connected to the contemporary crisis of sustainability, as well as ways in which associated problems may be addressed. You will critically examine the technologies of contemporary food production, processing, and retailing. You will focus on the impact of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotics on soil, water, biodiversity, food productivity and consumer health; the promises and threats arising from new technologies such as genetic engineering, automation and artificial intelligence; and the causes and effects of waste along the food chain. You will also learn how proponents and practitioners of innovative approaches—from regenerative agriculture to a circular economy approach—draw selectively on knowledge systems, old and new, in attempts to build more sustainable food systems. In the examination of each of these topics, you will look at the social, political, economic, and environmental dimensions of problems and proposed solutions, with a view toward understanding the tensions between these as well as potential synergies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
You will read works on food and sustainability from a range of disciplines, including agricultural and aquacultural sciences, environmental studies, nutrition and health sciences, science and technology studies, sociology, anthropology, geography, development studies, and political economy. Through engagement with the literature, you will develop perspectives on food and sustainability at various scales, analysing problems as well as critically examining proposed solutions. The module will prepare you for your own research in the field of study, whether academic or within the context of public institutions, industries, or third sector organisations with an interest in food and its place in sustainable communities, sustainable economies, and sustainable environments.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically analyse a range of sustainability challenges in the production, processing, retailing and consumption of food
- 2. Identify and critically assess the roles of a range of actors of various types and scales in food related sustainability challenges
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Discern the social, political, economic, and technological factors in food related sustainability challenges
- 4. Recognize and articulate critical perspectives on a range of proposed solutions to food related sustainability challenges
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Critically analyse sources that identify and propose solutions to food related sustainability challenges
- 6. Present relevant information in support of coherent critical appraisal of food related sustainability challenges and proposed solutions
Syllabus plan
Introduction: Food, Agriculture, Climate, Biodiversity, Nutrition and Health: Threats, Mitigation and Opportunities
Land, Soil and Productivity
Chemical Inputs and Biodiversity
Biotechnology: Promise and Peril
Antibiotics and Anti-Microbial Resistance
Water
The Global Fisheries Crisis
Food Waste
Regenerative Agriculture and Circular Economies
Meat: from Concentrated Feed Lots, to Pasture, to Veganism
Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Food and Farming
Food Livelihoods, Wellbeing and Sustainable Communities
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 22 | 11 x 2-hour weekly seminar |
| Guided independent study | 50 | 10 x 5-hours weekly reading for seminar preparation |
| Guided independent study | 20 | 10 x 2-hours weekly preparation of reading response papers |
| Guided independent study | 208 | Research and preparation of extended essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly reading response papers and their use in class discussions | 2 weekly reading response papers totalling 500 words | 1-6 | Oral feedback after week 2 |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of weekly reading response papers and their use in class discussions | 25 | Portfolio of 8 weekly reading response papers totalling 2,000 words | 1-6 | Mark with written feedback on portfolio |
| Essay | 50 | 3,000-word essay on a relevant topic of students choice, approved by convener | 1-6 | Mark with written feedback |
| Recorded presentation | 25 | 15 minutes | 1-6 | Mark with written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of weekly reading response papers | Portfolio of weekly reading response papers (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September |
| Essay | Essay (3,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September |
| Recorded presentation | Recorded presentation (15 minutes) | 1-6 | August/September |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Jackson, Cameron et al (2021) “Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People: An outline of the H3 Project”, Nutrition Bulletin 46(4): 497-505.
Kahn (2016) One Health and the Politics of Antimicrobial Resistance, Johns Hopkins University Press.
Kilpatrick et al (2014) “Supporting Farmer and Fisher Health and Wellbeing in ‘Difficult Times’: Communities of Place and Industry Associations”, Rural Society 22(1): 31-44.
Oosterveer and Sonnenfeld (2012) Food, Globalization and Sustainability, Earthscan.
Pretty (2004) The Pesticide Detox: Towards a More Sustainable Agriculture, Routledge.
Sage (2012) Environment and Food, Routledge.
Schurman and Munro (2010) Fighting for the Future of Food: Activists versus Agribusiness in the Struggle over Biotechnology, University of Minnesota Press.
Sexton, Garnett and Lorimer (2022) “Vegan Food Geographies and the Rise of Big Veganism”, Progress in Human Geography.
Temm, Marshood and Stedman-Edwards (2008) The Global Fisheries Crisis, Poverty and Coastal Small-Scale Fishers, WWF.
Thu and Durrenberger (1998) Pigs, Profits and Rural Communities, State University of New York Press.
Wolfert et al (2017) “Big Data in Smart Farming: A Review”, Agricultural Systems 153: 69-80.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
The Biggest Little Farm, FarmLore Films
The End of the Line, Dartmouth Films
Kiss the Ground, Big Picture Ranch
Gill (2020) It’s Not the Cow, It’s the How, Ted Talk
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 04/02/2022 |
| Last revision date | 20/12/2023 |
