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: |
Ed Romein - contact via Canvas inbox |
| Time & Place: |
Mondays 14.50 - 17.45 Classroom: N7-B13 |
Please note: This course meets once per week on Mondays 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 the points of contention around what people eat and why they eat it, how food is produced or should be produced. 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
Ed Romein. M.Sc. Economics (Erasmus University Rotterdam, 1999); M.A. Art History (Leiden University, 2000); M.A. Philosophy (Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2003). PhD candidate (Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam). Consultant, researcher and educator since 2001. Lecturer at Netherlands School of Public Administration (2001-2007), Copenhagen Business School (2015-2021), Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen (2015-2021), University College Freiburg (2021), MAD Academy (since 2021). With DIS since 2014.
Readings
The course outline will be posted on DIS canvas, listing the required readings for each class. Check the course outline frequently for updates. Supplementary articles will be made available online (links in Canvas for each class) .
Textbooks:
Please pick up the following textbooks during the Arrivals Workshop
- Singer & Mason: The Ethics of What We Eat- Why Our Food Choices Matter, Rodale Books, 2007
- Sandler: Food Ethics (The Basics) , Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2014 (e-text book on Canvas under Modules)
Other Readings (made available online on DIS Canvas):
- Watson: “Climate Change and Agriculture: Countering Doomsday Scenarios” pp. 453-474
- Lymbery and Oakeshott: “Farmageddon” pp. 39-78
- Carter: “The Politics of the Environment” pp. 13-37 and pp. 321-341
- United Kingdom Governments Office for Science, 2014 Innovation: Managing risk - not avoiding
- Organic 3.0 for truly Sustainable Production and Consumption, IFOAM
- Danish Agriculture and Food council: “Sustainable intensive production” pp. 1-11
- Summary Report of the EAT-lancet Commission, Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems pp. 1-32
- The New Nordic Food Manifesto (from norden.org)
- Food Nation White paper: Collaboration. The business culture that builds a strong food cluster pp. 1-36
- The European Commission. "How the European Union Works." July 2012
- European Green Deal strategy
- European union Farm to Fork Strategy
- Nestle, Marion: Food Politics, How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health pp. 93-159
- Food Nation: Organic, A vision and a Mindset in the Danish Food Cluster pp. 1-40
Field Studies
Field studies are site visits or workshops that take place on Wednesdays. During the semester there are two field studies scheduled for this course. These field studies are mandatory. Field studies provide a great opportunity to take a closer look at projects or initiatives that directly relate to food production and consumption and meet the people and organizations behind them. The field studies are on:
- Field Study 1: February 12 8:30-12:30
- Field Study 2: April 2 13:00-17:00
Guest Lecturers
TBA
Expectations of the Students
Students are required to:
- Attend all class sessions, with exceptions only for illness or emergencies
- Complete assigned readings and preparations before each class
- Submit all assignments by their due dates
- Observe course policies stated below
- Participate actively in classes and field studies
- Demonstrate respect and open-mindedness toward fellow students' contributions and guest speakers
Our goal is to create a collaborative learning environment where students learn not only from course materials but also from each other's perspectives and experiences. Active participation in class discussions is essential for this learning approach to succeed.
Evaluation
To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.
Assignments
Based on your readings and discussions in class, you will be asked to prepare and participate in group work and to do two written assignments, one of them being a group assignment. The purpose of the assignments is to sharpen your knowledge around theories and cases presented in class. The assignments will also be useful when writing the final paper.
Final paper
By the end of the semester you will be asked to hand in an academic final paper. See assignments for more details on the final paper.
The overall grade will come from the following:
Grading
| Assignment |
Percent |
| Engaged Course Participation |
25% |
|
2 Assignments |
45% (total) |
|
Final Paper |
30% |
Additional Areas to Cover
Handling deadlines - It is crucial for your learning that you stay on task and hand in assignments on or before the due date. All work– including in-class projects – have to be completed in order to pass the class. Late papers or projects will be marked down with 3/100 of a grade for each day it is late.
Use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom – Electronic devices such as laptop computers, mobile phones, tablet devices etc are NOT allowed in class. Please be sure that all cell phones are put away and are set to “off” prior to the beginning of the class or a meeting. However, in some specific cases the instructor will request you to use your laptop, tablet or phone for quick/ad-hoc research on Internet. Any misuse of our trust will be reflected in your engagement grade. Use of laptop in class for taking notes is accepted. But no phones during class.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in the course - (Adapted from Ethan Mollick). There is an increasing probability you have been using large Language Model AI (ChatGPT or other) or that you are using AI (ChatGPT or other) in class or outside. Some assignments and exercises might be enhanced by the use of AI, but don’t require you to use AI. Learning to use AI is an emerging skill, please check this website for some short video.
AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. When you intend to use AI in order to fulfil the requirements of this course please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of academic honesty policies.
Furthermore, be aware of the limits of ChatGPT or other AI tools:
If you provide minimum effort prompts, you will get low quality results. You will need to refine your prompts in order to get good outcomes. This will take work!
Don't trust anything it says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is wrong unless you either know the answer or can check in with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. It works best for topics you understand.
Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. Don't use it if it isn't appropriate for the case or circumstance.
Please make sure that you clarify whether you can use AI with your other teachers and courses.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|