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TI 343 - Geographies of Sustainable FOOD Consumption 

Lecturer:   Brídín Carroll
Office:  116, Arts/Science Building
Office Hours: Tuesdays 10am-12pm, Room 104, Geography Department (Dr. Frances Fahy’s office)    
E-mail: b.carroll2nuigalway.ie
Lectures: Tues: 16:00 - 17:00 (E212 Lecture Room, Civil Engineering Building); Wed: 13:00 - 14:00 (AM150, Mairtín O’Tnuathail theatre, Arts Millennium Building)

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Course Summary 

This module explores sustainable food consumption as an emerging yet crucial field of environmental planning, agri-technologies and social science. Initially, the module contextualises sustainable food consumption by broadly examining the concepts of sustainability and sustainable consumption. A central aim of this module is to explore the conditions which precipitated the globalised and industrialised organisation of food. The first half of this course evaluates and critiques this prevailing food system by exploring its inherent consequences and contradictions. This sets the scene for the emergence and rise of alternative modes of food provisioning and the various manifestations of the ’alternative’ or ’sustainable’ food system are examined in the second part of this module, particularly their nature, potential and any barriers to their acceptance and growth. The concluding section examines the roles of society, policy and governance, and technology in shaping the food system and facilitating (or not) a move towards food consumption patterns which are sustainable, not only ecologically, but economically and socially.

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Learning Outcomes

On satisfactory completion of this module and related assessments, using recommended readings, students will be able to:

• Critically discuss key issues in the study of sustainability and sustainable consumption;
• Understand, critique and apply a range of geographical concepts and discourse to the sustainable food consumption debate;
• Evaluate the impact of (un)sustainable food consumption practices on economic, social and environmental geographies;
• Write in a reflective manner to explore, synthesise and critique academic material while relating it to developments in the field of sustainable food consumption.

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Assessment

Exam 50%
Continuous Assessment 50%

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Readings:

 

There is no single textbook which covers all the material associated with the topics covered in this course. However, there are a number of texts which will be referred to throughout this course and they are outlined here. In addition, a number of useful articles will be posted on Blackboard.

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Core Readings

Atkins, P.J. & Bowler (2001) Food in society: economy, culture, geography. London: Arnold.Blay-Palmer, A., ed. (2008) Food Fears: from industrial to sustainable food systems. Surrey: Ashgate.
Cohen, M.J. & Murphy, J., eds. (2001) Exploring Sustainable Consumption: environmental policy and the social sciences. Oxford: Pergamon.
Duram, L. (2010) Encyclopedia of Organic, Sustainable and Local Food. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Marsden, T. & Murdoch, J. (2006) Between the local and the global: confronting complexities in contemporary agriculture, London, Elsevier.
Maye, D., Kneafsey, M. & Holloway, L. (2007) Alternative Food Geographies: representation and practice. Oxford: Elsevier.
Morgan, K., Marsden, T. & Murdoch, J. (2006) Worlds of food: place, power, and provenance in the food chain, Oxford, New York.
Sage, C. (2011) Environment and Food. London: Taylor & Francis.
Smart, B. (2010) Consumer Society: Critical Issues and Environmental Consequences. London: Sage.
Tischner, U. (2009) Case studies in sustainable consumption and production: food and agriculture, Sheffield, Greenleaf.

    

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