Program Overview

AGR8001 Food Security in the 21st Century

Overview

This course aims to familiarise students with the concept of food security and how this is threatened by natural, demographic, logistical, economic and political factors. The course also aims to highlight the role of improvements in agricultural production as a mechanism for providing food for a rapidly increasing global population.

Course Details

• Units: 1
• School or Department: School of Agriculture and Environmental Science
• Grading basis: Graded
• Course fee schedule: Not specified

Staffing

• Course Coordinator: Kirsty Owen

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. A comprehensive understanding of the concept of food security
2. A thorough appreciation of the challenges and threats to food security
3. An enhanced understanding of the Social, Political and Economic changes critical to enhancing food security

Topics

1. Historical and Contemporary perspectives in food security | 20.00
2. Environmental challenges to global food security | 30.00
3. Social, Economic and Political challenges to global food security | 30.00
4. Strategies to improve food security | 20.00

Text and Materials Required

• Fisher, R. A., Byerlee, D. and Edmeades 2014, Crop yields and global food security: will yield increase continue to feed the World? ACIAR Monograph No 158, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, ACT.

Student Workload Expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks.

Assessment Details

• Approach: Assignments
• Type: Written
• Description:
  • Quiz
  • Case Study
  • Online forums
• Group: No
• Weighting (%):
  • 10 (Quiz)
  • 40 (Case Study)
  • 50 (Online forums)
• Course learning outcomes:
  • 1 (Quiz)
  • 1, 2, 3 (Case Study and Online forums)