Syllabus
World Food Issues: Past and Present
Spring 2009

Course: Agron. 342, FSHN 342, Tech. Soc.Ch. 342, Univ. Stud. 342, Env. S. 342
Time: January 12 – May 8,  

Section 2: MWF 11-12,  Agronomy 2020

Section 4: MWF 1-2,  Agronomy 2026

Section XW Online

Instructor: Clark Ford, 2567 Food Sci, 294-0343, cfford@iastate.edu

Teaching Assistant: Erica Fuchs, 2569 Food Sci, ebfuchs@iastate.edu

Course Website: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cfford/342WFI.htm

Required text:  The World Food Problem:  Tackling the Causes of Undernutrition in the Third World, by H.D. Leathers and P. Foster, 3rd Edition, 2004.

Course Description:  We will examine world food issues from the perspectives of:

1) The way things are in the present.  Class material will focus on the book The World Food Problem, which looks globally at the interrelated economic, political and social issues related to world hunger in developing nations, including: inequity, food production, biotechnology, ecological destruction, population growth, policy, and aid.  Ethical issues concerning these topics will be discussed.

2) How things got this way.   Early humans, hunter and gatherer cultures, the agricultural revolution, hierarchical  and warring agricultural societies, food production and geography, invention and technology, winners and losers through 10,000 years of conquest, population growth, and the interaction of religion, government, and economic systems.  The unequal treatment of women, the industrial revolution, colonialism, and global economic domination by wealthy nations over developing nations will be discussed.

3) Policies and solutions for the future.  Our discussion will attempt to synthesize the information from past and present, examine our personal and societal values and policies concerning world food issues, and explore organizations involved in hunger relief and development.

Grades are determined on a 90-80-70-60 percentage basis.    Exams are short answer and are based primarily but not solely on study guide questions.  

Quizzes, 20 pts each - 140 pts

News Report – 20 pts (Due by Feb 13)

Student Presentations - 20 pts (Feb 23-27)

Bihari Farmer Computer Simulation Report – 20 pts (Due by Mar 6)

Movie Report – 20 pts (Due by Mar 27)
Origin of Hunger in the Developing World Case Study – 20 pts (Due by Apr 10)

Aid Organization Report –20 pts (Due by Apr 24)

Final Exam – 70 pts (Finals week)
Extra Credit paper – 20 pts (Due by May 8)
 

If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Resources (DR) office, located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, 515-294-6624.”

      Dates                     Topic                                                               Reading

 Section 1:  Jan 12 – Jan 23      World Hunger, Famines, Malnutrition               WFP Ch 1-3; URL 1, 2

                     Quiz 1: Jan 23

 Section 2:  Jan 26 – Feb 6       Hunger Ethics, Economics, Population            WFP Ch 4-12; URL 3

                   Quiz 2: Feb 6

 Section 3:  Feb 9 – Feb 20       Environment, Agriculture, Biotech                  WFP 13-14; URL 4

                   News Report due by: Feb 13

                  Quiz 3: Feb 20

 Group Student Presentations (in-class sections 2, 4):  Feb 23-27

Individual Student Presentations (online section XW):  Feb 27

 Section 4: Mar 2 – Mar 13       Agricultural Revolution, Ancient History         URL 5 

                  Bihari Farmer Report due by: Mar 6

                 Quiz 4: Mar 13

 Section 5: Mar 23 – Apr 3       Industrial Revolution, Women, Religion

                   Movie Report due by: Mar 27

                  Quiz 5: Apr 3

 Section 6: Apr 6 – Apr 17       Policies: Health, Globalization, Consumers     WFP 15-20

                  Origins of Poverty Report due by: Apr 10

                 Quiz 6: Apr 17

 Section 7:  Apr 20 – May 1     Policies: Agriculture, Aid, Development          WFP 21-24; URL 6, 7

                  Aid Organization Case Study due by: Apr 24

                 Quiz 7: May 1

 Final Exam: Finals week


Required Reading URLs:

(1)  http://www.unsystemmoz.org/mdg/docs/FAO%20HungerReportSum.pdf
(2)  http://www.foodfirst.org/12myths
(3)  http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v5n1/hunger.html
(4)  http://www.troz.uni-hohenheim.de/teaching/CostaRica/Toennissen.pdf
(5)  http://anthropology.lbcc.edu/handoutsdocs/mistake.pdf
(6)  http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/1799.html
(7)  http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1034738,00.html


For FSHN Majors:

FSHN Department and Program Outcomes Assessment
    
    All graduates from FSHN curricula should be able to demonstrate the General Department Outcomes (Communication (C), Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (P), Social Concerns and Ethics (S), and Technical Skills (T)) and the Program-Specific Outcomes (grouped by curricula: Dietetics, Nutritional Science, Food Science & Technology, Food Science & Industry, Consumer Food Science.  Details about these outcomes can be found at: http://www.fshn.hs.iastate.edu/outcomes/snapshot/learning.php.

    FSHN 342 will contribute to your ability to:
*Communicate effectively with others in one-on-one, small-group, and large-groupsituations. (C.1).
* Successfully solve multidisciplinary problems as part of a team (P1)
* Discuss the social, multicultural, and environmental dimensions of issues facing professionals in your field.(S.2)
   Electronic Portfolio Artifacts:

        Power point slides for individual student segments of two presentations
        Bihari Farmer assignment
        Movie Report
        News Report
                     
    Permission statement:  A written consent form for the use of artifacts by the instructor for outcomes assessment purposes must be obtained from each student each semester and be retained by the course instructor.