KEMI 2EN01 - The food and agricultural transition: a new era of innovation, cooperation, and sustainable lifestyl

Food and agriculture are at the core of our economy. Despite massive urbanization, a global rural exodus, fewer and fewer farmers in industrialized countries, our societies cannot function without food production and consumption. The transformation of the food sector throughout the 20th and 21st centuries has been radical. High level of mechanization, use of chemical products, increased size of farms are characteristics of today’s dominant agricultural model in industrialized countries. Yet, climate change, biodiversity loss, public health problems for consumers and farmers have brought to light the unsustainability of this model. Consumers are aware of the potential impacts of intensive farming on the environment and their health. Reports by the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), the Intergovernmental panel on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), have clearly indicated that the planet will be less and less capable of ensuring food security in a future of higher temperatures, poorer soil fertility, and rampant diseases. Finally, farmers in most industrialized countries have expressed concerns about their work conditions, their difficulties to meet new environmental and sanitary standards, and their lack of financial well-being.

In this context, many stakeholders, companies, unions, citizens, and public policy makers have launched initiatives to respond to these problems. Farmers are grouping together differently in order to better negotiate with large food industry corporations. Large corporations are rethinking their supply chains to increase their CSR commitment. Consumers are buying more and more local and organic products and reevaluating the importance of meat and dairy. Laboratories are developing alternatives to animal protein, pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Some citizens are leaving large cities to become small-scale farmers in agroecological vegetable production, while some non-profit organizations are promoting urban agriculture and food education.

The facts on the state of the planet demonstrate that the ecological transition in food and farming is not yet fast and broad enough. However, the ingredients for a new economic and social food system exist. They are not all consensual, but they are all being experimented and moving forward in different regions of the world. This class will examine these trends of the food and agricultural system, and help students assess the extent, the factors and the effects of these changes in the economy and in the lifestyles related to food.

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Presentations by lecturer, case studies (regional, sector, start-ups, corporations, non-profit organizations, scientists and researchers…).

2-3 guest speakers and “in class roundtables” : professionals in food and farming, experts on food and farming policy, local or national elected officials committed to food and agricultural issues

2 ECTS

50%

Group assignment (3-5 students) : Case study report, choice of territory/region/city, 3-5 interviews, analysis of evolution of local food system

Or

Elaboration and conception of a sustainable food production/consumption business model :

Or

Participation in National Vegetable Garden Cup (creation and maintenance of a vegetable garden) :

and

50%

Individual paper on topic of choice (list of topics provided by instructor) – 3-5 short essay questions