2018 Schedule and Materials
- 01: W 01/24
- Synopsis: For the first day of class, our objectives are: (a) to get to know each other, (b) to discuss the syllabus and the 473 Follow-up field program in Mexico, (c) to take a survey, (d) discuss the article of Erisman et al. (2004) and (e) to watch an "Amazing Video".
- Pre-class assignment: Intro Blog | How a Century of Ammonia Synthesis Changed the World (Erisman et al., 2004).
- In-class activity: Survey of your level of agreement with statements on topics that will be discussed during the semester | From "Poor & Sick" to "Rich & Healthy" Nations: An Amazing Video!.
- 02: W 01/31
- Synopsis: With the addition of 2 billion people to world population between 2010 and 2050, the demand for food will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. Producing food requires natural resources (land, water, energy, etc) and may have negative impacts on air quality and water quality. Agriculture has an impact of climate because of the substantial release of greenhouse gases. In turn climate has an impact on agriculture because crops and animal productions depend in parts on weather conditions. In their articles, Godfray et al. (2010) suggested that the world can produce more food but attention should be paid to issues of efficiency and equitability.
- Pre-class assignment: Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People (Godfray et al., 2010).
- In-class activity: Presentation of Field Study Program in Mexico | Discussion of pre-class blogs centered on food waste and yield gaps in developed and developing countries.
- 03: W 02/07
- Synopsis: The Global Nutrition Report was written by an "independent Expert Group" and was published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Eradication of malnutrition is a necessary step to achieve other sustainable development goals (SDG). Although the world is making progress in reducing malnutrition, progress are too slow and too uneven. The hope is to fund actions embedded within key development sectors that will lead to a virtuous cycle of improved nutrition. Government must be held accountable. Malnutrition in all its forms could be reduced substantially by 2030
- Pre-class assignment: Please read the Executive Summary (pages xxi to xxviii) and Chapter 1 of the Global Nutrition Report (IFPRI, 2015).
- In-class activity: Discussion of reading: types of malnutrition, causes, and "solutions"?
- 04: W 02/14
- Synopsis: Dave Beede, a dairy scientist from Michigan State University and former president of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) wrote this book chapter as a way to integrate the current knowledge on issues related to sustainability of (animal) agriculture. This is our first reading from an animal (dairy) scientist. So for the first time we have the perspective of an animal scientist on the sustainability of animal agriculture.
- Pre-class assignment: The reading is Animal Agriculture: How Can It Be Sustainable in the Future? from Dr. Dave Beede. Please read pages 284 to 298.
- In-class activity: Sustainability Activity.
- 05: W 02/21
- Synopsis: This week we will bridge two readings as we will finish the Beede paper that gave us a US perspective on sustainable animal agriculture and move to discussion the first part of the paper of Herrero et al (2013) focusing on the roles of livestock in developing countries. The article summarizes the benefits and risks associated with animal agriculture in developing countries. Itwill help us understand the complex socio-economic roles of livestock, the importance of livestock for women, and the role of livestock in enhancing and endangering human health. The linkage between livestock and environment has been discussed earlier and will be revisited briefly here.
- Pre-class assignment a): The reading is Animal Agriculture: How Can It Be Sustainable in the Future? from Dr. Dave Beede. Please read pages 299 to 307.
- Pre-class assignment b): The reading is The roles of livestock in developing countries (Herrero et al, 2012). Please read pages 1 to 8 (up to but excluding the section titled "Livestock and the Environment").
- In-class activity: Concept map of human and livestock interactions.
- 06: W 02/28
- Synopsis: Today we will finish the discussion of The paper of Herrero et al. (2013) on the roles of livestock in developing countries. We'll focus our discussion on Ecosystem services and the authors' discussion of factors that may influence the future of the livestock sector globally.
- Pre-class assignment: The reading is The roles of livestock in developing countries (Herrero et al, 2012). Please read pages 8 (starting with the section "Livestock and the Environment") to 13.
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 07: W 03/07
- Synopsis: Progress towards food security and nutrition targets requires that food is available, accessible and of sufficient quantity and quality to ensure good nutritional outcomes. This week's reading and discussion focuses on a range of factors that enable progress towards food security and nutrition goals. The list of factors – economic growth, agricultural productivity growth, markets (including international trade) and social protection – is by no means exhaustive.
- Pre-class assignment: Please read page 26 to 37, Box 5 page 40, and Key Findings page 42 of the State of Food Insecurity in the World (FAO, 2015).
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 08: W 03/14
- Synopsis: Livestock keeping is critical for many of the poor in the developing world. This paper outlines the linkages between livestock keeping and the physical well-being of the poor, and examines a number of commonly held beliefs that misrepresent livestock development issues related to these linkages.
- Pre-class assignment: The reading is Randolph et al. (2007) Invited Review: Roles of Livestock in Human Nutrition and Health for Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries.
- Optional reading: Feel free to look at this 2014 World Health Organization report on Neglected Zoonoses in Developing Countries and how they could be controlled.
- Additional Resources: The reading of Herrero touched on zoonoses and their impact on human health. The authors referred to "1 million lost DALYs (page 7). Here links for you to learn more about Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) and here is where you can visualize the burden of diseases around the world expressed as "DALYs" (Disability-Adjusted Life Year).
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 09: W 03/21
- Synopsis: Neumann et al. (2003) hypothesized that ASF would improve micronutrient status, growth and cognitive function in Kenyan primary school children. The companion paper of Whaley et al. (2003) presents findings from a study in rural Kenya, designed to test the impact of three different diets on the cognitive development of school children: Meat, Milk, Energy or Control (no feeding). What happened? Let's find out!
- Pre-class assignment: Whaley et al. (2003) The Impact of Dietary Intervention on the Cognitive Development of Kenyan School Children.
- Optional reading: Neumann et al. (2003) The Impact of Dietary Intervention on the Cognitive Development of Kenyan School Children |
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 10: W 04/04
- Synopsis: In this module we will look into attempts to break the chains of Hunger and Poverty. Can it be done? Before proposing solutions to the problem of food insecurity and hunger in rural parts of the developing world we have first to gain a deep understanding of the causes of these problems. In this module and the next one, we will focus on the "poorest of the poor." Using case studies of smallholders or sharecroppers in northern Brazil, today's reading focuses exactly on identifying factors that mediates poverty and hunger.
- Pre-class assignment : Please read the article Narranjo (2012) Enabling food sovereignty and a prosperous future for peasants by understanding the factors that marginalize peasants and lead to poverty and hunger.
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 11: W 04/11
- Synopsis: Last week we looked at how to assess the sustainability of smallholder dairy farmers in the northern part of the state of Mexico (Northwest of Mexico City). Today's class will take a closer look at the factors that may influence the adoption of technology among the same small holder dairy farmers. Characteristics of the farm, of the farmers and of his (all farmers were men in this study) households were important determinants of farmer's ability to "change." The reasons for which some farmers rejected (did not adopt) certain technologies may come to a surprise to some of us!
- Pre-class assignment 1: Please read and complete P-Blg 1 for the short article Farm, Household, and Farmer Characteristics Associated with Changes in Management and Technology Adoption Among Dairy Smallholders authored by Martinez-García et al., (2015).
- Pre-class assignment 2: A Case Study of technology adoption: Should I buy a Milking Machine? (Note: the web-base case study requires Java Script; please follow instructions carefully as you will be asked at three different points as you move through the case study to vote whether or not you recommend that "José" buy a milking machine. Your vote will be recorded on a google doc and used for class discussion). After completing the case study, please complete P-Blg 2.
- In-class activity: Discussion of pre-class blog and results of your votes on the case study.
- 12: W 04/18
- Synopsis: Even as Mexico's dairy industry is changing and evolving along a similar path as the U.S., towards larger and more specialized dairy farms with higher production capabilities, Mexico's agriculture industry is still dominated by diversified smallholders. Today we will focus on the "IDEA" method to measure sustainability of smallholder dairy farms and we will discuss how specialization versus diversification intersect with the concept of sustainability.
- Pre-class assignment: Please read the article Evaluation of Sustainability of Smallholder Dairy Production in the Highlands of Mexico authored by Fadul-Pacheco et al., (2013).
- In-class activity:
- 13: W 04/25
- Synopsis: In the last module of this class we will ask the question of whether we can "really" help the poor of the world or is it a lost cause? Does international aid works and if so how do we know?
- Pre-class assignment 1: Please listen to this NPR Saturday Morning Edition Broadcast of January 21, 2017.
- Pre-class assignment 2: Please read page 772 (overview page) and the yellow highlighted text of the full-length article: Banerjee et al., (2015) A multifaceted program causes lasting progress for the very poor: Evidence from six countries (published in Science).
- In-class activity: Tba.
- 14: W 05/02
- Synopsis: This is our last week of class and we have a special guest, Heidi Busse who has spent considerable amount of time in Ethiopia to better understand the linkage between human health (nutrition) and agriculture. The lecture title is self-explanatory. Heidi will help us think about the complexities associated with linking agriculture (in this case milk production) with better nutrition in rural communities of Ethiopia. Pre-class assignment: Please read and complete the pre-blog for the following paper: Agriculture, Food Systems, and Nutrition: Meeting the Challenge (Gillespie and van den Bold, 2017) and the optional related policy brief: How Can Agriculture and Food System Policies Improve Nutrition (Golpan.org, 2014).
- In-class activity: Introductions | Conceptual Framework for working multi-sectorally and at multiple levels for agriculture to improve nutrition | Case study and group work: a) What Food Means in Ethiopia Video, related to reading assignment 1)