HR933-10 Challenges of Global Food Security
Introductory description
Global food security, providing access for the world’s population to affordable, safe and nutritious food, is one of the major challenges of the 21st century.
Module aims
This module will provide an understanding of the elements that contribute to the food security agenda. An essential element of the module will be a critical review of current physical, political and biotic drivers. We will explore the strategies being deployed that influence food security including projected population changes, climate change, ecosystem servicers and resilience, disease and fossil fuel dependence. The module will present a global perspective.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Introduction to food systems and food security
Water security
Waste
Fossil fuel dependency
Food insecurity and links with environmental change
Household food insecurity in high income countries
Food insecurity as a complex problem
Complexity Science and food insecurity
Food insecurity – the role of the multidisciplinary team
Food ethics
Wild food
Human populations
Cities and food security
Data handling exercise
Group presentations on food security around the globe
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Evaluate the scale and importance of the global challenge of food security
- Evaluate critically the drivers of change in the context of food security
- Understand the approaches being taken to analyse and address issues associated with global food security
- Analyse the conflicting requirements of environmental protection and food production
- Communicate contemporary issues relating to international responses to food supply.
Indicative reading list
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Island Press
Reaping the Benefits; Science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture (2009). Royal Society Policy Document 11/09
Lester R Brown (2005) Outgrowing the earth. Earthscan.
Geoffrey Lawrence, Kristen Lyons and Tabatha Wallington (2011) Food security, nutrition and sustainability. Earthscan.
Bryan L. McDonald (2010) Food security. Polity.
John Ingram, Polly Ericksen, and Diana Liverman (2010) Food security and global environmental change. Earthscan.
Geoff Tansey and Tasmin Rajotte (2008) The future control of food: a guide to international negotiations and rules on intellectual property, biodiversity and food security. International Development Research Centre.
Carolyn Steel (2008) Hungry city: how food shapes our lives. Chatto & Windus.
Julia Wright (2011) Sustainable agriculture and food security in an era of oil scarcity: lessons from Cuba. Earthscan.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
Understand the approaches being taken to analyse and address issues associated with global food security
Transferable skills
Communication
Analysis
Evaluation
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 16 sessions of 1 hour (16%) |
| Seminars | 1 session of 3 hours (3%) |
| Other activity | 6 hours (6%) |
| Private study | 50 hours (50%) |
| Assessment | 25 hours (25%) |
| Total | 100 hours |
Private study description
Independent research
Other activity description
Workshop
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A5
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Group presentation and linked 1000 word summary of individual contribution | 100% | 25 hours | No |
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This assignment consists of preparing and giving a group seminar presentation together with the submission, by each individual, of a 1,000 word written description of their personal contribution. Students are allocated to groups randomly. Each group chooses a ‘region/continent’ (e.g. Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, North America, Middle East). Each group must consider a different region. Each group researches the food system and issues around food security at present and in the future in that region. Each student must research a different aspect of the food system so that the group presentations are balanced. So they should choose from e.g. production, logistics (including storage), waste, access to food, food affordability, climate change, food systems, justice, poverty, conflict etc. The group prepares and gives a presentation on the continent/region covering the food system and current and future food security issues. They can also make suggestions about how food security might be improved in future. In addition each student submits a 1,000 word description of their individual contribution. |
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Reassessment component |
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| Individual presentation and linked 1000 word summary | No | ||
Feedback on assessment
Written feedback through Moodle
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A1 Postgraduate Taught Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A3 Postgraduate Taught Food Security
This module is Core optional for:
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A2 Postgraduate Taught Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century
This module is Optional for:
- Year 1 of ULFA-C1A1 Undergraduate Biological Sciences (MBio)