Module POLM073 for 2017/8
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM073: Political Economy of Food and Agriculture
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Aims
Food and agriculture have become major issues in contemporary politics and economics and central concerns in discussions over sustainability. This module looks at the political economy of the global agri-food systems, including how food is produced, processed, transported, distributed, regulated and consumed. The main theoretical approaches to studying the political economy of food and sustainable agriculture are explored so as to provide students with the conceptual tools to develop critical awareness of the cultural, political and economic context of food. Specifically, the module aims to:
Examine the structure, economics and politics of the contemporary agro-food system.
Provide a critical examination of the emergence of ideas of food security and sustainable agriculture in policy discourses.
Consider the principles and processes that underlie policy-making and policy delivery for agro-food security and sustainability.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Understanding of the development of the agro-food system. 2. Awareness of core concepts in the study of the political economy of food, food consumption and the regulation of food. 3. Empirical knowledge of particular examples of sustainable food systems, including those associated with food security, the environment, health, safety and livelihoods. 4. Knowledge of the development of policy and planning agendas for encouraging sustainable agro-food systems 5. A comprehensive understanding of reciprocal relationships between theoretical and practical understandings of policy and sustainability |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 6. Critically evaluate core concepts 7. Present coherent and well structured arguments informally in class and through assignments. 8. Find, use and analyse a range of material in their assignments 9. Apply theoretical arguments and concepts to the analysis of empirical case studies |
| Personal and Key Skills | 10. Deliver presentations to peers 11. Communicate effectively in informal class discussions 12. Read with a critical eye and evaluate the ideas being expressed 13. Research & critically evaluate ideas and debates 14. Write clearly and coherently 15. Use ELE appropriately |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
1. An introduction to the historical development of agriculture and food systems.
2. Introduction to the political economy of agri-food systems and the historical development of the contemporary global agri-food system.
3. How the food chain works from farm to mouth; covering the role of marketing organizations, wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers.
4. Farming and food in the UK trends, pressures, issues, farming systems and their characteristics and distribution, alternative uses of land.
5. What we eat and why - food choices and diet, healthy eating, livestock versus crop sources of food.
6. Food security: the history of a policy concern; covering demographics, competing pressures on land, nutrition, and food safety.
7. Food security in its wider context the relationship of food security to geo-politics, and to biosecurity, water security and energy security.
8. Prospects for food security can the world feed itself, examining the debate in the context of contrasting economic models, peak oil and climate change; and alternative food systems (organic food, slow food, local food, food miles and fair trade).
9. Issues of Contention: regulating genetically modified food: defining food safety risks in the context of trade liberalisation.
10. The politics of food and international trade: trade liberalisation, the WTO, technology and entitlements.
The module will use formal lectures and discussion with external experts. Weekly two-hour contact hours introduce the theoretical framework, key issues and background knowledge as the basis for discussion well as a seminar element which allows students to present their thoughts on particular theories or issues. Students will be assigned readings on key module themes and will give presentations on assigned topics. Students will also develop their depth of knowledge of the module topics through researching and writing the course essays as well as through report writing. Study is continuous throughout the course
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 17 | Lectures, expert speakers and field visits |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 3 | Student-led seminars |
| Guided independent study | 130 | Private study |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
