International relations

Global Politics of Food

Module code: 011IRS
Level 6
30 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework

Why – when there is enough food produced to feed the world’s population – are close to 800 million people hungry?
What is the environmental impact of the world’s food system, and how can it be re-designed to combat climate breakdown?

On this module, you will learn:

• about the formation, functioning and contemporary transformation of the global food system
• how an intersectional political economy approach – which places class, race and gender relations at its core – can help approach the above questions.

Module learning outcomes

• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of key aspects of the global politics of food production, distribution and consumption.
• Demonstrate conceptual understanding that enables the student to devise and sustain arguments upon particular aspects of current research in the global politics of food.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge through accounting for some of the methodological difficulties in engaging in a global politics of food analysis.
• Demonstrate an ability to use data (that may be incomplete), to make judgments, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution to a problem, relating the global politics of food.
• Apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding by analysing the importance of the global politics of food production,