AGROECOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ECOLOGY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

AGROECOL 702

Agroecology systems provide a variety of social, economic, and ecological functions to society, each with a different network of stakeholders. This course explores methods of evaluating these diverse functions and perspectives, with a special focus on participatory approaches.

AGROECOL 503

A stepping stone between the classroom and society. Emphasizes integration of diverse bodies of agroecological knowledge, critical thinking, and engagement with real-world problems and current research. Topics such as: bioproducts, food systems and security, economic vitality of communities, climate change, humans and their environment, biodiversity, resource management and policy, and social equity.

AGROECOL 720

Field study of farms, processing, marketing, distribution, and policy-making in the food system. Courses will be several days of visits, discussions with the operators, and student-faculty discussion sections. Presentations or written reports may be required.

AGROECOL 303

Explores in-depth agriculture systems as coupled ecological and social complexities. Examines the components of agricultural systems and analyzes how different ecological and social contexts influence and are influenced by the agricultural system. Explores and analyzes how management decisions (crop breeding, in-crop management, landscape-level, etc.) ramify to influence processes and outcomes at different levels of complexity (e.g., ecosystem, landscape, social well-being, human health, economic) and the socio-ecological tradeoffs that ensue. Develops skills to analyze how the design and implementation of integrated agricultural systems can contribute to solutions for pressing societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity declines, unsustainable resource use and social inequality.

AGROECOL 375

Special topics on issues relevant to agroecology.