Module DXC-3600:
Food Geographies

Module Facts

Run by School of Natural Sciences

10 Credits or 5 ECTS Credits

Semester 1

Organiser: Dr Eifiona Lane

Overall aims and purpose

The course covers the political, economic, environmental and socio-cultural understanding of food production, marketing/distribution and consumption, power-laden processes revealed as connected in time and space. The module will encourage students to develop a holistic understanding of food systems in the global North and South, including current trends that restructure the North/South divide. Students will develop proficiency in the use of quantitative and qualitative methods to understand, compare and evaluate both global and localised food systems enacted at different locations and scales. In addition, students will gain experience of both field-based and desk-based studies of Food Geographies. Field-visits will be to local case-study sites.

Course content

The module will combine lecture-, seminar- and field-based learning that will cover the following themes:

Transnational corporations, food security, soils and land. Environmental and community impacts of global food (Global South) e.g. Clearances and Plantations. Traditional and alternative food systems. Food Regimes, packaging and waste. Farming, the environment and Food production. Re-localised food economies (Global North) and place-based foods. New challenges & horizons in sustainable global food.

Assessment Criteria

good

Grades B- to B+: Much or most of the relevant information and skills accurately deployed. Good/adequate grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practical elements. Good/fair integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed works' objectives. Evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills.

threshold

Grades D- to C+: No major omissions or inaccuracies in the deployment of information / skills. Some grasp of theoretical conceptual practical elements. Integration of theory/practice/information present intermittently in pursuit of the assessed works' objectives.

excellent

Grades A- and above: An outstanding performance, exceptionally able. The relevant information accurately deployed. Excellent grasp of theoretical/conceptual/practice elements. Very good integration of theory/practice/information in pursuit of the assessed work's objectives. Strong evidence of the use of creative and reflective skills

Learning outcomes

  1. Demonstrate a conceptual and practical understanding of a wide range of food innovations and the ability to apply this knowledge within a practical and sustainable resource management setting.

  2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of key issues in Food Geographies from an academic and practitioner viewpoint.

  3. Effectively collate and synthesize information and arguments from a variety of information sources and from field-based learning.

  4. Display excellent skills in communicating new developments within and across a wide range of food and drink geographies.

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
EXAM Exam 50
COURSEWORK Field based report 50

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting

Subject specific skills

  • Recognize and apply appropriate theories and concepts from a range of disciplines.
  • Consider issues from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.
  • Apply subject knowledge to the understanding and addressing of problems.
  • Awareness of the concepts of spatial and temporal scale in understanding processes and relationships.
  • Appreciation of the reciprocal nature of human-environmental relationships.

Resources

Resource implications for students

Field work clothing and footwear as appropriate

Courses including this module