One Health & Global Food Security

How do our food systems feed the world? And can we do so into the future, with societal challenges including climate change, population growth, and global inequality? This course examines food systems from a One Health and Sustainability perspective, bringing in guest speakers to discuss social, environmental, economic, and socio- political considerations of our global food systems. Students will be exposed to social entrepreneurship as a ‘cross-cutting theme,’ providing problem solving frameworks to evaluate trade-offs and design practical solutions to intersecting challenges in food and agriculture. Specific topics covered in the course include: introductions to animal and crop production systems, environmental issues in agriculture (biodiversity life, conservation and wildlife, nutrient management, food loss and food waste), social issues in agriculture (indigenous food and agriculture, environmental justice, rural community health, human health through emerging and zoonotic diseases and the role of animal foods in human nutrition, economic issues (economic consolidation, global food trade), and socio-political issues (communicating science to the public, conflict and food insecurity, global food policy and trade). Through a semester- long case study project, students will apply social entrepreneurship to deepen understandings of problems and trade-offs in context. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to provide and integrate peer feedback. The course is open to veterinary students, professional students, undergraduate and graduate students, and will involve guest lecturers, student participation, information synthesis, teamwork, and research. Spring 6 Credit Hours