This
course examines the above issues of food from different perspectives:
historical, social, economic, political, cultural, ecological and
environmental. It begins with a global overview of the domestication of
plants and animals for food, evolution of agriculture, food security and
famine, food trade, as well as food safety and ethics. The pros and cons
of conventional, transgenic and organic agriculture will also be
examined from a holistic point of view. This is followed by an
investigation of China’s food supply potentials and problem, regional
development of food tastes, and attempt to revolutionize its food
production strategy in the 21st century. Lectures will be
supplemented with videos and slides.
Food is a basic need of human beings and food security is often assumed
in an affluent society like Hong Kong. Likewise, food safety and ethics
is a growing concern of people with the intensification of farming and
rapid development of transgenic agriculture. After taking this course,
students should benefit in the following areas:
(1) a global perspective of different food issues including
the origin of food, international food trade, food security and safety,
famine and food ethics;
(2) an understanding of the major forms of world agriculture:
conventional, organic and transgenic; and
(3) an understanding of China’s food production program and
search of a viable development strategy in meeting the needs of a rising
population.
Parallel
to the enhancement of knowledge base on food, students should be able to
further improve their critical thinking and analytic capability through
a problem-based approach in the teaching of this course.
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