Agricultural Sciences

The course discusses how different forest management practices and intensities influence biodiversity. It presents methods on how to assess and evaluate impact of forest management actions on flora and fauna diversity and discusses possible trade-offs between forest wood production and biodiversity.

This new course in the Exploring Taiwan series introduces agriculture and food biotechnology. The course begins with Taiwanese traditional products and methods, such as salt production in salterns and its transformation; rice, a staple food; tea, and exotic fruit crops grown by cultivation technology. Then, the course introduces fermented foods and how microbial fermentation is utilized in food technology, and orients on food safety monitoring and the use of plants metabolites for pharmaceutical purposes. To gain insight on how to develop business ideas and products, the course features a guest speaker CEO from a renowned food company. Students also participate in a factory tour to experience modern plant operation and maintenance, as well as their research and development. 

This course examines key contemporary issues in international agricultural development – including food security, food safety, poverty reduction, climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the effects of the financial crisis on agricultural development, food crises and food aid etc. The agriculture for development highlights two major regional challenges, which are sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Agricultural productivity growth is vital for stimulating growth in other parts of the economy, but accelerated growth requires a sharp productivity increase in small holder farming combined with more effective support to the millions coping as subsistence farmers, many of them in remote areas. The success will also depend on concerted action by the international development community to confront the challenges ahead. We must level the playing field in goods, such as technologies for tropical food staples; help developing countries address climate change; and overcome looming health pandemics for plants, animals, and humans.