EN 228 - Food Security and Climate Change

Food and farming systems are both primary sources of greenhouse gases and highly vulnerable to the impacts of anthropogenic climate change. This course explores how we can reduce carbon emissions associated with food while at the same time enhancing food security under an increasingly variable climate. We begin by exploring the roles of plants, animals, and microbes in farming systems and understanding how they contribute to carbon and nitrogen cycles. Next, we evaluate some of the adaptations developed by farmers and scientists in response to variable environmental conditions including crop diversification, integrated pest management, and agroforestry. In the last part of the course, we consider how national and international policies might address the entangled challenges of food insecurity and climate change, and whether these answer the demands of food and climate justice movements. Throughout the semester, student teams work to model a historical or contemporary farming system, evaluate its contributions and vulnerabilities to climate change, and identify opportunities for mitigation and adaptation.

Prerequisites: JRS & SRS ONLY

Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually

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