Agricultural Sciences

The course offers a study of the theoretical bases and principles that guide sustainable production, recognizing the role of societies, nature, and their territories, and the virtuous relationship established between them. It includes practical experience by maintaining an established orchard through activities such as: sowing, pruning, maintaining an irrigation system, among other activities. Community work in the urban garden fosters discussion of solutions for facing urban demands for quality food while taking into account the conservation and restoration of natural resources such as water, soil, flora, and fauna biodiversity. 

This course examines food microbiology; microbial ecology of foods (effects of water activity, pH, temperature, etc); significance, characteristics and control of important food borne pathogens; (bacteria, viruses, fungi, seafood toxins, parasites, prions); food borne illness; indicator organisms; methods for examination of foods, regulatory standards; food borne illness; practical culture-based microbiological examination of foods; and outbreak investigations.

This course introduces food systems and their actors as a framework for understanding and analyzing the development in the food sector. It provides a basis for handling future changes of food systems in a societal context. The course explores food systems and food networks as conceptualizations of the complex system behind food products and as useful tool in analysis of food related developments. It examines the historical development and structure of food systems (mainstream and alternative food systems), including an overview of changing technologies; structure, location, and actors as well as salient political issues characterizing food systems in different periods. The course then discusses the governance of food systems, including an introduction to dynamics of policy processes, and questions of the power and interests of core actors as well the role of social movements. Finally, it presents key concepts and theories useful for understanding an analyzing the development and transition of food systems, such as socio-material approaches to food systems change, sustainability, and actor understandings.

The course is part of the LM degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The course reviews the political landscape of food and farming development in developed and developing countries. Policy initiatives by national governments can operate in coordination or conflict with private companies and corporations, international organizations, NGOs. At the end of the integrated course the student is able to: identify the different stakeholders operating the food and farming sectors; understand and evaluate objectives, policy instruments, and strategies that characterize an agricultural policy; identify public policies that address food waste prevention and reduction in developing and developed countries; to outline sustainable food and farming policy options, the implications of these policies for institutions, and their potential impacts on the food system; to analyze the policy formation and implementation processes in different countries, and evaluate costs and benefits of sustainable food and agricultural policies.