ECON 328 EG - World Food Systems

Minimum Credit(s) Awarded: 4
Maximum Credit(s) Awarded: 4

In the last decades, the food system has undergone significant structural changes: agriculture has become a heavily-mechanized industry and the number of miles food travels from producer to consumer has multiplied. As buyers, we are no longer constrained to the local food variety or its seasonal availability. In addition, as incomes in poor countries have risen, people’s diets have become increasingly diversified with a greater reliance upon processed foods. In this course we will use basic economic theory to analyze world food production and distribution. We will explore and compare the benefits and problems experienced by rich and poor nations due to transformations of the food system. Topics to be discussed include international food aid programs, growth of urban food markets, and impact of government policies in food prices, health, labor structure, and the environment. Cross-listed ENVS 328