Course Syllabus

 

Politics and Ethics of Food

Semester & Location:	Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Environmental Studies, Ethics, Political Science
Prerequisite:	None
Faculty Members:	Dr. Megan Maurer, mema@dis.dk Current students please use the canvas inbox for contact
Time & Place:	Thursdays 14.50 - 17.45  Classroom: N7-B13

Please note: This course meets once per week on Thursday from 14:50 - 17:45. The exact dates can be found in the Course Calendar.

Description of Course

In this course we analyze some of the core discussions on how we eat and produce food in different societies around the world.

We look at political, economic, social and cultural dimensions and cover themes such as animal ethics, climate, environment, health, food distribution, world hunger and bioengineered food.

We discuss ethical and political questions like; should we eat animals? How does food effect our health? Can (and should) governments influence what people eat? How is food a part of our culture? What are our responsibilities toward the environment, the climate and nature when we produce and consume food? Do we have a responsibility to reduce hunger in the world and how can we do it? Should we embrace or avoid GMOs and bioengineered food?

Furthermore, we analyze the politics of our food systems. We look at the decision-making processes in the USA, EU and Denmark and ask; who decides what, for whom, why and how?

We will explore what people eat, why they eat it, how it has changed over time, and how it will most likely keep changing. We ask how political actors influence this development.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will have an understanding of some of the many different ethical and political dimensions of food consumption and production.

The course will enable you to make more informed, rational and moral decisions in your own life. But first and foremost, it will give you knowledge and informed arguments that qualify you to engage in substantiated discussions about the political and moral ramifications of different food systems.

This course will be especially beneficial for those of you who consider pursuing a career in political institutions, NGO’s or companies that work with food related issues. 

Faculty 

Dr. Megan Maurer, mema@dis.dk

(Research Profile)

Readings

The course outline will be posted on DIS Canvas, listing the required readings for each lecture. Readings can be found under Files, as well as the associated week's module. Check the course outline frequently for updates. Supplementary articles will be made available online (links in Canvas for each lecture)    

• de Bruin, A., de Boer, I. J., Faber, N. R., de Jong, G., Termeer, K. J., & de Olde, E. M. (2024). Easier said than defined? Conceptualising justice in food system transitions. Agriculture and Human Values, 41(1), 345-362. 
• De Schutter, O., Jacobs, N., & Clément, C. (2020). A ‘Common Food Policy’ for Europe: How governance reforms can spark a shift to healthy diets and sustainable food systems. Food Policy, 96, 101849. 
• Gold, A. G. (2014). Food values beyond nutrition (Chapter 22). Ronald J. Herring, ed. The Oxford handbook of food, politics, and society, Oxford University Press. 
• Gjerris, M. (2020). Food waste–some ethical reflections. Reduction of food loss and food waste. Scripta Varia, 147, 227-33. 
• Gjerris, M., Gamborg, C., & Saxe, H. (2016). What to buy? On the complexity of being a critical consumer. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 29, 81-102. 
• Klima- og Omstillingsrådet. (2024a). The Green Tripartite does not indicate the transition of agriculture. Climate Monitor, 2 July 2024. (Originally in Danish as “Den grønne trepart anviser ikke omstillingen af landbruget.”) 
• Klima- og Omstillingsrådet. (2024b). What should we do with agriculture? Danish Agricultural visions in a time of global crisis. June 2024. (Originally in Danish as “Hvad skal vi med landbruget? Danske landbrugsvisioner i en global krisetid.”) 
• Korthals, M. (2015). Ethics of food production and consumption (Chapter 9). Ronald J. Herring, ed. The Oxford handbook of food, politics, and society, Oxford University Press. 
• Manzoni, A. (2024). The Evolution of EU Agri-Food Policymaking: A Long Path Towards a Food System Approach (Chapter 3, Sections 3.2 and 3.3). The Food Commons Approach in the EU Agri-food Law: Reframing the Common Agricultural Policy for More Ecological Food Systems in Europe. Springer. 
• Mupepele, A. C., Bruelheide, H., Brühl, C., Dauber, J., Fenske, M., Freibauer, A., ... & Klein, A. M. (2021). Biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes: transformative societal changes needed. Trends in ecology & evolution, 36(12), 1067-1070. 
• Rutt, R. L. (2020). Cultivating urban conviviality: urban farming in the shadows of Copenhagen's neoliberalisms. Journal of Political Ecology, 27(1), 612-634. 
• Sandler, R.L. (2015). Food Ethics: The Basics. Routledge. (Chapters 1 and 3) (available as link in Modules)
• Subramaniam, B. (2021). The Ethical Impurative: Elemental Frontiers of Technologized Meat (Chapter 11). Chatterjee, S., & Subramaniam, B. Eds. Meat!: a transnational analysis. Duke University Press.  

Field Studies

• Field Study 1:  January 22 8:30-12:30
• Field Study 2:  March 12 13:00-17:00

Guest Lecturers 

• Dr. Mickey Gjerris holds a M.Th. and a PhD in theological bioethics. He has the past 20 years done interdisciplinary research on ethical issues primarily focusing on the relationship between humans, non-human animals and the rest of nature. Since 2007 he has been an associate professor at the Department for Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen.

• Dr. Rebecca Rutt, Associate Professor, Department for Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen. Rebecca is an 'undisciplined' social scientist working in the broad field of political ecology, with research experience in multiple sites, from the urban sustainability agendas of Copenhagen, Denmark to the European Union policy realm and practices aimed at preventing trade of illegal forest products, to struggles over control of community forests in Nepal. Most recently, I am working at the nexus of industrial animal production and the rise of infectious disease - the so-called 'pandemic era'- through a 4-yr interdisciplinary research project PANDEMEAT (Pandemic Entanglements: The Political Ecology of Industrial Meat Production in the ‘Pandemic Era’) with partners from the University of Oslo. 

Expectations of the Students

All students are expected to do the assigned readings and prepare for every class. Students are also expected to participate in class activities, in order to create an active learning experience for all. Finally, students are expected to participate in collective decision-making re: study groups, classroom policies, etc. 

Evaluation

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work, as detailed below. 

Assignments 
All written assignments should be 12pt, Times New Roman, double-spaced, with 1” margins. They should be submitted as a Word file via Canvas. All assignments must be turned in by the start of class (2:50pm). Late assignments will be market down by 3% for each day it is late. Please write me (mema@dis.dk) ASAP if you have reason to think you will be handing in late. 

Attendance (10%) 

Attendance is mandatory for DIS courses. Please attend each class session unless you have received an official exemption (e.g. illness, religious holiday). If you are unable to attend class, please notify me as soon as possible (mema@dis.dk). For further information on the DIS attendance policy, please refer to the student handbook. 

Participation (10%) 

Course activities will include discussions, debates, role plays, etc. All of these activities are more enjoyable and more educational if everyone participates.  We all have experience and insights to contribute, and we learn best when we learn from each other. To that end, please participate in course activities. Successful participation includes: taking part in course activities, contributing to a classroom where everyone’s ideas are welcome, and taking risks—share your ideas, ask questions, challenge course material. If, for whatever reason, you do not feel comfortable participating in class, please speak with me. Your contributions are valued and desired, and I want to work with you to make sure you are included in the class in an appropriate way.  

Reflection Essay 1 (10%) 

One of the goals of this course is to equip you with the tools to critically reflect on the political and ethical positions of different actors within food systems—which includes you. In this essay, please reflect on your relationship to a chosen food system (where you grew up, Denmark, where you go to school). What is your relationship to food? To agriculture? What kind of food do you eat (or did you grow up with) and why? What are some of your values as regards food and agriculture? What kinds of experiences and relationships (cultural, social, political, economic) shape those values? (500-1000 words) 

Due 23 January. 

Reflection Essay 2 (10%) 

Please select one of the topics covered in this course (e.g. agriculture + biodiversity, eating meat) and write a brief essay that reflects on your relationship to this topic. What were your prior assumptions? Were these challenged or changed? What is your experience or relationship to this topic? What are your values regarding this topic? What are some of the key political and/or ethical considerations when evaluating this topic? How do these relate to your position / values / experiences? (500-1000 words) 

Due by 1 May, but should be handed in within a week of the selected topic. 

Argumentative Essay (10%) 

For the final product, you will be creating an ethical + political argument regarding a food-related topic of your choosing. The purpose of this essay is to (a) select your topic for the final product and (b) argue why it is a topic of significant ethical and/or political interest. The topic may be something covered in class, or it may be a topic relevant to the course that we did not directly cover. The choice is yours. Please present an overview of the topic, followed by a summary of the ethical and political stakes of this issue. Your goal is to convince your reader this is an important topic they should care about. For this essay, you should cite at least 5 sources. These need not all be scholarly—they can be news articles, podcasts, magazine essays, etc.  (500-1000 words) 

Due 27 February. 

Annotated Bibliography (25%) 

A key research skill is the annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is a curated list of scholarship which is organized around key themes and includes for each entry the citation and a short summary (3-5 sentences) of the main argument and relevant points. For this assignment, please create an annotated bibliography on the topic you have selected for your final assignment. This bibliography should include at least 10 sources, at least half of which are scholarly articles. Citations should be done in APA style, and annotations should include a brief (1-2 sentences) summary of the main points, followed by a brief (2-3 sentences) summary of its relevance to your topic or argument. You are encouraged to organize your bibliography around 2 or more key themes (e.g. if your topic is eating meat, you might choose themes like climate change + meat, and animal rights). 

Due 10 April  

Final Product (25%) 

For the final assignment, you will create a product that presents an ethical + political argument about your topic. This product should be a format designed to contribute to public discussion / communication, e.g. an op-ed / think piece, a podcast episode, a YouTube video, a comment thread, a TikTok series, etc. This product should present your argument for both why we should care about this topic and how we should care about it. It should be well researched and reference relevant scholarship and/or ongoing public debates. There are no requirements for length, style, etc. You will be evaluated on (a) how well you make your argument, (b) your engagement with the political and ethical dimensions of your topic, (c) your ability to engage relevant scholarly research, and (d) the effectiveness with which you have used your medium (e.g. does your TikTok series leverage hashtags? Is your podcast episode just you reading an essay?). You are encouraged to meet with me to discuss your format and topic, and make sure you are on the right track. You are also encouraged to be creative and think outside the box.  

Due 1 May 

The overall grade will come from the following: 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Attendance	10%
Participation	10%
Reflection Essays (x2)	20% (total)
Argumentative Essay	10%
Annotated Bibliography	25%
Final Product	25%

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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