AGS 10 - World Food and Hunger Issues

Transfer Status

CSU/UC

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course is a study of the world's food needs with emphasis on the problems and policies of developing nations. The course will examine the evolution from hunter-gatherer to domesticated agriculture and the role agriculture currently plays in the sustainability of economic and political progress of developing nations and the ethical and environmental implications.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Analyze the impact of food distribution on hunger.
2. Identify and explain the major global food issues.
3. Describe the problems of food and fiber production in developing and developed countries and identify potential solutions to these problems.
4. Identify the factors that enabled the development of early agrarian societies.
5. Describe the three "revolutions" in agricultural technology.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

1. Discussion
2. Guest Speakers
3. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
4. Lecture
5. Multimedia Presentations
6. Reading Assignments

1. Quizzes
2. Papers
3. Homework
4. Written Assignments
5. Mid-term and final examinations
6. Short papers

Reading Assignments

1. Read the section of the text regarding the rise and spread of food production. Be prepared to discuss the factors that led some peoples to develop agrarian societies and why others did not.
2. Read the section of the text regarding the Malthusian Dilemma. Be prepared to identify the rationale of Malthusians and Non-Malthusians.

Writing Assignments

1. In formal essay form, write a 3-5 page paper discussing the origin and development of a cereal crop. Include the geographic origin, methods of production by early agriculturalist, nutritional attributes, and the reasoning for domestication and cultivation.
2. Read the article posted on the class portal focusing on sustainable agriculture. Write a 1-2 page paper discussing the article's key points, including the author's view on what defines sustainable agriculture.  Provide your own opinion on how we should define sustainable agriculture.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Watch the YouTube video of Jeffery Sachs' seminal speech at Columbia University entitled "Ending Global Poverty". Be prepared to identify five methods that Sachs proposes to end poverty.
2. Locate an article on the internet that discusses neolithic agriculture in the Fertile Crescent. Be prepared to discuss the specific crops and livestock in use during this period.

Tauger, M. (2020). Agriculture In World History. Routledge, 2. 9780367420901.

Paarlberg, R. (20). Food Politics. Oxford University Press, 3rd. 9780197743775.

Lappé, F. & Collins, J. (201). World Hunger: 10 Myths. Grove Press, 1st. 9780802190987.

Other Learning Materials

World Food Program USA: https://www.wfpusa.org/

Agriculture (Masters Required)