Course Syllabus

Sustainable Food: Production and Consumption A

  

Photo: Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries of Denmark

Semester & Location:	Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Study Tours:	Sicily, Italy
Major Disciplines:	Environmental Studies, Sustainability, Food Culture Studies and Policy
Prerequisite:	None
Faculty Members:	Camilla Hoff-Jørgensen Current students use Canvas inbox to contact.
Time & Place:	Mondays and Thursdays 10.05-11.25 am, in V10-A43

Course description

It's possibly the greatest challenge of our time: to feed an ever-growing population without further destroying the planet. And we need to do so under the growing pressure of climate change, scarce resources, and hardly any room for error. At the same time, our efforts are held up to increasing scrutiny on their social, economic, and environmental impact.

This course seeks to shed light on this predicament by seeing what lessons can be learned from the past, but even more so by exploring the possibilities of alternative ways of food production and consumption. Solutions that recognize and address food's environmental and social impacts and seek to reshape our connection to food. This course will improve students' understanding of climate issues and local contexts regarding food production and consumption by visiting sites in Denmark and the southern island of Italy, Sicily.

Critical questions include: What is the actual cost of food and natural resources? How can we achieve more sustainable diets while producing less waste? How can food activism make a difference? What do pioneering restaurants and food entrepreneurs teach us? How do cities help shape more sustainable food infrastructures? We will explore these questions in Denmark and the Italian region, Sicily. Denmark and Sicily are different climate-wise, culturally, and historically. The Danish landscape and the Sicily are among Europe's most intensively cultivated areas. The agricultural land of Denmark covers approximately 62% of the area, while farmland represents 67% of the Sicilian territory. Sicily has a climate that allows the country to produce food all year and export a vast amount of fruit and vegetables to the rest of Europe. However, the island is experiencing more and more wildfires, droughts, heat waves, and climate change symptoms. Areas around the Mediterranean Sea vary a lot. Some areas, like the northern part of Spain and Italy, are seen as progressive regions, having many sustainable food start-ups, adapting to organic agriculture, and creating a strong narrative between identity and landscape. Other areas are classified as less developed regions with political and structural issues. Sicily is classified as the last. 

This course connects principles from the physical and social sciences to address complex contemporary food issues. The field of sustainable food encompasses the study of basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as subjects such as ethics, anthropology, history, and politics.

During the core course week in Denmark and the study tour to Sicily, we will be hiking to most of the localities we are to visit, so you will be required to bring practical clothing and footwear that will allow you to stay warm and dry in cold weather. Even Sicily can be windy in the spring, winter, and fall. 

 

This course aims to:

- increase food literacy through understanding the social, economic, and environmental impact of food production and consumption choices.

- develop critical thinking skills through analysis and evaluation of sustainable food practices.

- Increase the capacity to take an active role in dealing with the challenges of our time by envisioning opportunities and challenging values.  

Learning objectives 

At the end of the course, the student can:

- Identify and map out the global challenges of sustainable food production and consumption.

- Define sustainable food production and consumption from multiple perspectives.

- Differentiate and compare types of sustainable food initiatives through their origins, advantages, and disadvantages, such as packaging, food miles, and food ethics.

- Critically evaluate evidence that supports or contradicts common, competing claims about food systems.  

- Point out the possibilities of alternative food production and consumption approaches.

- List food strategies, diets, and sensemaking that contribute to a more sustainable food system.

Instructor

Camilla Hoff-Jørgensen, Cand. scient in Social Anthropologist (Lund University) BA.sceint.anth and BA.scient in Human Nutrition: Food Production (Copenhagen). She has worked with food and food culture at many levels, from the biochemistry of the nutrients in the food, food production, and distribution to the cultural use of food in different contexts: Japan, Thailand, Spain, and Denmark. Besides working for DIS, she is an active independent anthropology and food culture studies researcher. 

Readings

• Willett, Walter (2019), Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems ́. The LanceW CRmmiVViRnV. 
• EAT-Lancet Commission. (2019), The EAT-Lancet Commission - Summary Report Food Planet Health. ́ The LanceW CRmmiVViRnV. 
• Rockström & Gaffney (2021), Feeding 10 billion people within the planetary boundaries
• Mann, Charles (2018 ), "The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World 
• Paddock, Jessica. (2012), "Chapter 12 Marking the boundaries: position taking in the field of ‘alternative’ food consumption."
• Poore & Nemecek (2018), "Reducing food's environmental impact through producers and consumers"
• Raynolds et.al. (2020), "Routledge Handbook of Food Waste" 

Field Studies & Guest Lecturers

Potential visits and guests include:

        Havhøst (sea foresting trip): What's sustainable seafood fishing?

     Vild mad (foresting trip) What strives in nature?

     Modern Dairy Production. What is the future for cow milk and beef? 

      Meet a farmer who converted his conventional farm into an organic

      Finding alternative protein than soy for feed

      Danish Conventional pig farm

      Urban gardens

      Guided tastings

      Meet private farm cooperative (Andelsgaarde.dk)

   Fermentation workshops with legumes

 

Approach to Teaching

The methods used to cover class materials include lectures, videos, discussions, individual and group presentations, guest lectures, and daily field trips. The course will have several out-of-the-classroom sessions on location to experience the different facets of food firsthand and hands-on. Students are expected to be able to find and be at the external locations on time. The external locations will not be far from DIS's location, and maps and addresses will be provided in advance.

Expectations of the Students

I expect you to attend all class sessions unless you have an emergency. If you are not in class, you cannot participate. I expect you to complete all the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them in depth. I expect you to turn in assignments on time.

All students are expected to have completed the course readings before class so that we can discuss the material at the right level. It is essential to be well-prepared for class because I may randomly select students to give key points on the readings for that day.

Students are expected to participate actively in all classes and field studies and be open-minded to their fellow student’s contributions to the class. The aim is to establish an environment where we can learn from each other and from the texts and cases we engage with, and you are expected to actively support this approach.

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on their ability to understand, discuss, and communicate theories within the field of food anthropology as well as interpret them meaningfully. These skills will be the primary focus of evaluations. Group work in class and the field and the student's ability to contribute to a group effort will be considered for the final grade.

Grading

Your final grade consists of the following three elements:

Assignment	Percent
GHG Life Cycle Assessment of Food	20%
Study Tour Assignments (Wizard/Prophet 10% and Student Led debate 25%)	25%
A critical assessment of a sustainable meal and how it is socially perceived	25%
Participation (3 parts)	35%

 

Areas to Cover

‘Late papers will be accepted, but half a point for each day will reduce your grade for the paper it is late if the course instructor is not informed about the delay. 

The use of laptops or phones in class is accepted for note-taking only. 

Zoom meetings

Please email Camilla if you need to access the class over Zoom for one day.

Click here to join Zoom Meeting: 932 9389 6329

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There, you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

 

 

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