Syllabus
World Food Issues: Past and Present
Fall 2009

Course: Agron. 342, FSHN 342, Tech. Soc.Ch. 342, Univ. Stud. 342, Env. S. 342
Time:   August 24- December 18 

Section 1: MWF 11-12, Agronomy 2026

Section 2: 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, 4th Edition, 2009.

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

Nutrition Report – 20 pts (Due by: Sept 11)

News Report – 20 pts (Due by: Sep 25)

Student Presentations - 20 pts (Oct 5-9)

Bihari Farmer Computer Simulation Report – 20 pts (Oct 16)

Movie Report – 20 pts (Due by: Oct 30)
Origin of Hunger in the Developing World Case Study – 20 pts (Due by: Nov 13)

Aid Organization Report –20 pts (Due by: Dec 4)

Extra Credit paper – 20 pts (Due by Dec 18)
 

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:  Aug 24 – Sep 4      World Hunger, Famines, Malnutrition               WFP Ch 1-3; URL 1, 2

 

                  Quiz 1: Sep 4

 

Section 2:  Sep 8 – Sep 18       Hunger Ethics, Economics, Population            WFP Ch 4-11; URL 3

                 

      Nutrition Report due by: Sep 11

                  Quiz 2: Sep 18

 

Section 3:  Sep 21 – Oct 2       Environment, Agriculture, Biotech                  WFP 12-14; URL 4

 

                  News Report due by: Sep 25

                  Quiz 3: Oct 2

 

Group Student Presentations (in-class sections 1, 2):  Oct 5-9

Individual Student Presentations (online section XW):  due by: Oct 9

 

Section 4: Oct 12 – Oct 23      Agricultural Revolution, Ancient History         URL 5 

 

                 Bihari Farmer Report due by: Oct 16

                 Quiz 4: Oct 23

 

Section 5: Oct 26 – Nov 6       Industrial Revolution, Women, Religion

 

                  Movie Report due by: Oct 30

                  Quiz 5: Nov 6

 

Section 6: Nov 9 – Nov 20      Policies: Health, Globalization, Consumers     WFP 15-20

 

                 Origins of Poverty Report due by: Nov 13

                 Quiz 6: Nov 20

 

Section 7:  Nov 30 – Dec 11   Policies: Agriculture, Aid, Development          WFP 21-24; URL 6, 7

 

                 Aid Organization Case Study due by: Dec 4

                 Quiz 7: Dec 11

 

Finals Week: No Final Exam


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.