Course title: Universal Food Security Update 12/14/2023

Course number: PUAF U6411 Credits: 3

Lectures: Tuesday 09:00-10:50am

Lectures & Discussion Sessions: Thursday 09:00-10:50am
Room: IAB 411 (both days)
Instructor: Professor Glenn Denning ([email protected])
TA: Madiyar Nurakhmetov ([email protected])

Office Hours (in-person) (Prof. Denning): Monday 3:00-6:00pm. Sign up here.

Office Hours (Madiyar Nurakhmetov): TBD. Sign up here (add link).

Course Resources: All course resources will be accessible through CourseWorks@Columbia.

Course Description: This course addresses the challenges and opportunities for achieving a
productive, profitable, inclusive, healthy, sustainable, resilient, and ethical global food system—one
that ensures every person enjoys a healthy diet derived from sustainable food systems. Our
first two sessions will provide a brief historical overview of the global food system and food security
today, highlighting relevant developments during the past 10,000 years, and explaining key concepts,
critical challenges, and opportunities ahead. For the ensuing three weeks, we will cover the core
biophysical requirements for food production: soil and land, water resources, climate, and genetic
resources (seeds). We then introduce human nutrition – Nutrition Week – that focuses on dietary
change and food-based solutions to malnutrition. We will consider the roles of livestock and
fisheries as sources of food and livelihoods, as well as the environmental consequences. Becoming
familiar with the language and concepts of food systems provides the foundation for designing and
executing policies and programs.

Building on this knowledge foundation, the course will outline a strategy for food systems
transformation. Through case studies, classroom debates, group discussions, and sharing of student
experience and perspectives (in-class and online), we will explore the roles of science, technology,
policies, politics, institutions, business, finance, aid, trade, culture, and human behavior in advancing
sustainable agriculture, and achieving food and nutritional security. With a sharp eye for credible
evidence, we will confront controversies, reflect on historical trends, identify common myths, and
surface little-known but important truths about agriculture and food systems. In our final week, we
address the ultimate question: can we achieve universal food security? Can we feed and nourish the
world without wrecking it for future generations?

Course Objectives: The course aims to provide development practitioners – of all disciplinary or
professional backgrounds – with a holistic understanding of food systems and food security with a
focus on low- and middle-income countries. Upon successful completion of the course, students will
be equipped to access, understand, organize, and apply knowledge of: (1) the fundamentals of
producing, distributing, and consuming food, (2) important global and national food system policies
and programs, and (3) strategies for achieving universal food security.

Method of instruction: The course will achieve its learning objectives by deploying a combination
of lectures, readings, videos, cases, debates, written assignments, discussion blogs, student
presentations, and engagement with experienced practitioners and researchers.
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 UFS WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Discussion Sessions are highlighted in green below.

Week Theme Date Topic Instructor

1 Introduction 01/16 Universal Food Security: Historical Perspective and Key GD
Concepts – Part I
01/18 Universal Food Security: Historical Perspective and Key GD
Concepts – Part II
2 Fundamentals 01/23 Soil & Land GD
01/25 Water Resources GD
3 Fundamentals 01/30 Climate Change GD
02/01 Case #1: Saved by the Soil? Conservation Agriculture GD
and Global Warming in Ghana
4 Fundamentals 02/06 Seeds of Change GD
02/08 Case #2: Cambodia—Recovery from the GD
Killing Fields
5 Fundamentals; 02/13 Nutrition: Science, Policies, & Practice -- Part I Jessica Fanzo
Policies and 02/15 Nutrition: Science, Policies, & Practice -- Part II JF
Practice 02/17 Nutrition Master Class (Optional) JF
6 Policies & 02/20 The Role of Livestock and Fisheries GD
Practice 02/22 Debate #1: Are Vegetarian Diets Necessary for a MN
Sustainable Food System?
7 Policies & 02/27 SPECIAL TOPIC MN
Practice 02/29
8 Policies & 03/05 Food Systems Transformation GD
Practice 03/07 NO CLASS
9 03/11-15 SPRING BREAK!
10 Policies & 03/19 NO CLASS
Practice 03/21 Agricultural Value Chains: The Case of Coffee Carl Cervone
11 Policies & 03/26 Food Losses and Waste GD
Practice 03/28 Brief but Spectacular (Part I) MN
12 Policies & 04/02 Social Protection GD
Practice 04/04 Case #3: Youth mobilization for food system The Farmlink
transformation Project
13 Policies & 04/09 SPECIAL TOPIC MN
Practice 04/11

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14 Policies & 04/16 Brief but Spectacular (Part II) MN
Practice 04/18 Brief but Spectacular (Part III) MN
15 Finale 04/23 Delivering Universal Food Security GD

Grading: Students will be graded through two research/policy papers, together comprising 70% of
the grade, and Class Participation (30%):

• Assignment 1, worth 20% of grade (1,250 words, due at 11:55 pm on Sunday March 24)
• Assignment 2, worth 50% of grade (2,500 words, due at 11:55 pm on Sunday May 5)

Details of Assignments 1 and 2 will be announced in class and posted on CourseWorks at least
4 weeks before the due dates.

Late submissions of assignments will be penalized by 20% of the assignment value for each
day or any part thereof overdue. Even one minute late will result in a 20% penalty. Only health
conditions certified by a medical professional will be considered in granting requests for an extension.

Class Participation, comprising 30% of the course grade, should demonstrate an understanding of,
and interest in, the assigned readings, videos, discussion topics, and related subject matter. Your
participation will be assessed based on:

• Weekly blog posts (10 posts worth 20 points). These short narratives (50-250 words) should
skillfully articulate experience and impressions related to the readings, the lecture, or class
discussions or any additional research on the topic(s) being discussed during the week prior to
the deadline. A post can be an original contribution or an insightful response to someone else’s
post. Debates on controversial issues are most welcome! Posts should be submitted by 11:55
pm on the following 13 Sundays: Jan 28; Feb 4, 11, 18, and 25; March 3, 10, 24, and 31; April
7, 14, 21, and 28. You are excused from submitting on any three of those dates. Multiple
submissions in any week are welcome, but only count as one for that week. For example, if
you submit all 10 blog posts on April 28, they will count as one out of the required 10!
• Brief but Spectacular (10 points). A 3-minute video presentation that will be shown in class.
Within the broad scope of food security, the presentation should provide “brief but
spectacular” insights based on personal experience and/or research. To be assessed jointly by
GD and MN. Criteria will be provided.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Beyond the weekly required and additional readings, the following resources are recommended, if
you are seeking to gain a superior level of understanding of the subject matter of this course. If you
come across other interesting and useful resources relevant to the course objectives, please share
these with the class through your blog posts.

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The Food Systems Dashboard contains over 150 indicators that measure components, drivers, and
outcomes of food systems at the country level. Data are pooled from FAO, Euromonitor
International, World Bank, and other global and regional data sources. “Compare and Analyze”
allows users to visualize and compare food systems indicators globally, regionally, by country, food
systems type, or income classification. Data can be viewed on a map as well as on bar, line, and
other chart types. “Country Profiles” allow users to view a curated set of up to 41 indicators for each
country (where available) to gain in-depth insights into the challenges and opportunities facing
countries and their food systems. The Dashboard was developed by Johns Hopkins University and
the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). One of its architects is Professor Jessica Fanzo
who will be teaching UFS on February 13 and 15, and an optional Master Class on February 17.

Global Food for Thought is a weekly news brief from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
that follows media, research, and policy developments on issues surrounding agricultural
development. These weekly briefs provide summaries of and links to articles, reports, events,
and publications on issues such as agriculture, hunger, poverty, climate change, development,
water, commodities, and agribusiness. All UFS students are strongly encouraged to sign up:
here.

The Guardian Global Development website. This website is funded by support provided, in part,
by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Content is editorially independent, and its purpose is to
focus on global development. The section on Food Security provides contributes a diversity of
news, comments, and features on food security, food insecurity, and food scarcity in the developing
world: here.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO): Food Price Index. The FAO Food Price Index
measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of 23 food commodities. Stay in
touch with food commodity price trends during the semester. The reason for doing this should
become self-evident. Release dates for 2024 are: 5 January, 2 February, 8 March, 5 April, 3 May, 7
June, 5 July, 2 August, 6 September, 4 October, 8 November, 6 December. Check in on these
monthly updates and related analyses by FAO.

Once you open your eyes and ears to food systems and food security issues – and that is one of the
goals of the course – you will come across lots of resources, some of it evidence-based, written by
scientists and practitioners, while some sources are simply opinion pieces, often less robust
scientifically with some tending to be ideological. Beware of the latter. Professor Fanzo has a
website called “The Food Archive”, where she has curated “go-to sources of information on food
and nutrition policy, science and culture.” You may enjoy exploring your interests through these
resources. I assure you there is plenty out there to help in your exploration into food systems.

Sign up for Professor Denning’s Office Hours to discuss issues that may not be adequately covered
or discussed in class. You may come as individuals or in small groups. Each slot is 15 minutes. Small
groups of two or three students may book two back-to-back slots.

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WEEK BY WEEK CLASS PLAN AND READINGS

Week 1

January 16 and 18
Universal Food Security: Historical Perspective and Key Concepts

Class Plan: Over two sessions during Week 1, Professor Denning will provide an overview of the
course objectives and content, the methods of instruction, the assignments, and the grading system.
We will then discuss “The Big Picture,” starting with the historical context of the current global
food system—from the domestication of crops and animals to the apocalyptic writings of Thomas
Malthus, to the Asian Green Revolution, and to the emerging role of gene editing and precision
farming. The vision of Universal Food Security will be explained and discussed. We will then dive
deeper into the key concepts of Food Systems, Food Security, Structural Transformation, and
Sustainable Intensification. We will also consider the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
the Paris Climate Agreement and discuss how they could contribute to more sustainable and equitable
food systems.

Required Readings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 1: Prophets of Doom (pp. 3-20) and Chapter 8: Food Systems
Transformation (pp. 166-174).
• United Nations. “Secretary-General’s Chair Summary and Statement of Action on the UN
Food Systems Summit.” Statement, September 23, 2021. (Are you assured by the SG’s call to
action?)
• Willett, Walter et al (2019) Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems. EAT-Lancet
Commission. Summary Report. (Familiarize yourselves with the key messages and
recommendations)
Additional Resources:
• Video (2 minutes—a brief but powerful insight into the science and politics of food security
in the 1960s): U.S. President Lyndon Johnson's visit to IRRI, 26 October 1966.
• Malthus, Thomas (1798) An Essay on the Principle of Population. Chapter 2 (p. 6-11).

Week 2

January 23
Soil and Land

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Class Plan: Soils are a finite natural resource and are nonrenewable on a human time scale. Soils
provide the foundation for food and other essential agricultural products, the supply of clean water,
and a range of ecosystem functions, including carbon sequestration. Soils are increasingly subject to
degradation, poor management, and loss to urbanization. In the first of three lectures on the
biophysical foundations of the food systems, we will cover the most important soil and land
characteristics that affect agricultural productivity, sustainability, and resilience. We will discuss how
to identify and reverse soil nutrient depletion and land degradation; inorganic and organic sources of
nutrients; popular myths about soil fertility management; and features of an integrated soil and land
management paradigm.

Required Readings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 3: Soil and Land (pp. 51-79). It’s a long and somewhat technical
chapter. But if you want to get a grasp of soil and land, the fundamentals are there.
• Montgomery, David R. (2012) Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. Read Chapter 1: Good Old
Dirt. Univ of California Press, 2012.

Additional Resources:
• FAO Soils Portal: https://www.fao.org/soils-portal/en/
• International Fertilizer Association: https://www.fertilizer.org/
• Landcare Australia: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/

January 25
Water Resources

Class Plan: In this class, we will begin with an overview of the role of water as a fundamental
building block of all food systems. Water is one part of a broader set of climate-related factors that
shape the geography, productivity, and sustainability of food systems around the world. We will
discuss some key concepts including rainfed and irrigated agriculture, blue and green water,
imbedded water and the water footprint, and transboundary water issues.

Required Readings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 4: Water Resources (pp. 80-94).
• Malin Falkenmark and Johan Rockström, “The New Blue and Green Water Paradigm:
Breaking New Ground for Water Resources Planning and Management,” Journal of Water
Resources Planning and Management 132, no. 3 (2006): 129–32. (Understand the difference
between green and blue water.)
• Panel, Malabo Montpellier. Water-wise: Smart irrigation strategies for Africa. Intl Food
Policy Res Inst, 2018. Read chapters 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11 (They are very short chapters!).
Additional Resources:

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 • FAO. 2020. The State of Food and Agriculture 2020. Overcoming water challenges in
agriculture. Rome. Read the 10-page Executive Summary xviii-xxvii.
• Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture (2007) Water for Food,
Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. London:
Earthscan, and Colombo: International Water Management Institute. (A valuable 40-page
summary for “decision makers” of a 645-page book representing the collective efforts of 700
practitioners, researchers and policy makers.) Read pages 1-4 and Box 1.
• De Fraiture, Charlotte, David Molden, and Dennis Wichelns (2010) Investing in water for
food, ecosystems, and livelihoods: An overview of the comprehensive assessment of water
management in agriculture. Agricultural Water Management 97 (2010) 495–501. (An overview
of the Comprehensive Assessment targeting a more science-oriented audience.)
• Mekong River Commission website: http://www.mrcmekong.org/. The Mekong River
Commission is an inter-governmental agency that works directly with the governments of
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam on their common specific interests—joint
management of shared water resources and sustainable development of the Mekong River.
This website will give you an idea of the breadth and complexity of issues involved in
managing a transboundary river basin.

Week 3

January 30
Climate Change

The world’s climate is changing, and our food systems are vulnerable to climate variability and
change and are a contributor to GHG emissions. We will examine the concept of food systems
resilience: “the three Rs.” We will discuss practical ways of adapting to climate change and mitigating
the GHG emissions from our food systems. COP28 has been heralded by some as a success in
putting food systems on the climate agenda. How can the rhetoric be translated into practice?

Required Readings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 6: Climate Change (pp. 120-138).
• Dinesh D., B. Campbell, O. Bonilla-Findji, M. Richards (eds). (2017) 10 best bet innovations
for adaptation in agriculture: A supplement to the UNFCCC NAP Technical Guidelines.
CCAFS Working Paper no. 215. Wageningen, The Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program
on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). (Browse through the 10
innovations to get a sense of a range of options for adapting agriculture to climate change.
Available online with other useful publications at: www.ccafs.cgiar.org.
• COP28 UAE (2023) Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and
Climate Action. The non-binding Declaration emphasizes the transformative potential of
agriculture in responding to climate change and ensuring global food security. The
signatories commit to integrating agriculture and food systems into their climate action,
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 adopting inclusive policies, securing finance, promoting innovations, and strengthening
international trade. Familiarize yourself with the declaration and the implications for tangible
climate action.

February 1
Case #1: Saved by the Soil? Conservation Agriculture and Global Warming in
Ghana

This is an audiovisual case study which includes a 15-minute video intro to the case, filmed on
location in the US and Ghana. After watching the video, use links below to download and read the
written case study. We have also included original documents, selected transcripts, and
supplementary interviews related to the case.

Overview of the Case: Mechanized farming enabled a rapid expansion of modern agriculture in the
United States in the first part of the 20th century. However, over-tillage (excessive plowing) led to
one of the country’s worst environmental disasters: unprecedented soil losses that removed soil
nutrients and reduced productivity. To counter continued degradation, a new technique known as
No-Till Farming was developed in the 1960s. This technique, also known as Conservation
Agriculture or Conservation Farming, reduced erosion by direct seeding into the soil without
plowing. Conservation Agriculture has since spread to cover about 40% of US crop land and to
other parts of the world. In this case, we explore the potential of Conservation Agriculture in Africa,
specifically in the case of Ghana, where mechanized farming is taking hold to open new land. What
can Ghana learn from the US experience? What adaptations are needed for such an approach to be
acceptable in Africa? What are the roles of the private sector and government in conserving the soil
and meeting the country’s food security needs?

Required Readings/Viewings:
1. View the Video: Saved by the Soil?
2. Read the Case.
3. Giller, Ken E., Ernst Witter, Marc Corbeels, and Pablo Tittonell. "Conservation agriculture
and smallholder farming in Africa: the heretics’ view." Field crops research 114, no. 1 (2009):
23-34. (read the Abstract, Introduction and Conclusion)

Additional Resources:
As an additional resource, we are providing this link to the trailer, videos and interactive site from
Ken Burns’ 2012 a two-part, four-hour documentary series, "The Dust Bowl". This PBS film and
interactive site explores one of the world’s worst ecological disasters, and it provides interesting
background to the “Saved by the Soil” case and debate. If you have time, viewing “The Dust Bowl”
is recommended.

• Link to view clips from Ken Burn's "Dust Bowl" film: http://www.pbs.org/show/dust-
bowl/

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 • Link to "Dust Bowl" PBS Interactive Site:
http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/interactive/

Week 4

February 6
Seeds of Change

Class Plan: Biodiversity provides a pool of genetic resources for the global food system. Our crops
and livestock have been improved over millennia to meet our food requirements, first by simple
selection, and later by crossbreeding to recombine desirable traits. Biotechnology has opened new
opportunities for manipulating the genetic make-up of our food species. What is biotechnology?
What are the opportunities and risks? During the second hour of this session, we will discuss the
science, opportunities, and policy challenges of genetic engineering of food crops.

Required Readings/Viewings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 5: Seeds of Life (pp. 95-119).
• Crop Trust website: Read about the work of the Crop Trust. Focus on “Crop Diversity:
Why It Matters” and the “Global Genebank Partnership.”
• Pamela Ronald, “Moving beyond pro/con debates over genetically engineered crops,” The
Conversation, June 2, 2016. https://theconversation.com/moving-beyond-pro-con-debates-
over-genetically-engineered-crops-59564
• Sarah Garland, “Stop Arguing Over GMO Crops,” Scientific American, December 14, 2020.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stop-arguing-over-gmo-crops/

Additional Resources:
• IRRI (2019) Press Release: Philippines approves Golden Rice for direct use as food and
feed, or for processing. IRRI: Dec 18, 2019.
• Greenpeace. ‘Golden Rice’ commercialization to further drag down Filipino farmers amid
climate, COVID struggles. Press release. July 24, 2021.
• Regis, Ed (2019) The True Story of the Genetically Modified Superfood That Almost Saved
Millions. Foreign Policy. October 17, 2019.

February 8
Case #2: The Case of Cambodia: Recovery from the Killing Fields

Overview of the Case: In the twentieth century, few countries experienced the levels of social
disruption, human carnage, and physical destruction that befell Cambodia. As the Vietnam War
spilled into Cambodia, the country was bombed ferociously between 1965 and 1973; during that
period, the United States flew over 200,000 sorties and dropped 2.75 million tons of munitions on

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Cambodia. Despite this extreme use of force, on April 17, 1975, the capital Phnom Penh fell to the
forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, known widely as the Khmer Rouge. By then, the
population of Phnom Penh had risen from less than a million to 2 million people as the rural
population fled the bombing and the advance of the rebel forces. Under the Khmer Rouge
leadership, the country then called ‘Democratic Kampuchea’, experienced almost four years of
genocide and crimes against humanity. The Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of about
1.7 million people: an extraordinary 21% of the population. Rice production was drastically reduced,
and famine was widespread.

In this case, we will discuss the key challenges, successes, failures, and legacy of agricultural
reconstruction after extreme conflict and disruption. How to prioritize under such circumstances?
How to engage a government that has been installed through force? How to build agricultural
resilience and sustainability? What lessons can we apply to other parts of the world as they emerge
from extreme conflict?

Required Reading/Viewing:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 2: Green Revolutions section “Cambodia Calls” (pp. 31-38).
• We will watch this video in class, please feel free to look at it before if you prefer: The Living
Fields: Post Conflict Rice in Cambodia.
Having these questions in advance allows for more active background reading and viewing.
1. What factors contributed to the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia?
2. What impact did the Khmer Rouge have on rice production and food security?
3. Following war and genocide, Cambodia recovered to become a significant rice exporter by
the mid-1990s. How was that achieved?
4. Climate change looms as a threat to Cambodia’s booming rice export industry. What policies
and investments are needed to strengthen the resilience of rice farming in Cambodia? What
should be the research and development priorities of CARDI over the coming decade?
5. Aside from climate change, what other challenges are likely to confront Cambodia’s rice
sector and the broader agricultural sector?
6. How can the nation prepare for a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future?
7. What are the lessons learned that can be applied or adapted to other post-conflict settings?
Additional Resources:
• Optional…but if you have time, I suggest that you view the 1984 Roland Joffé film, “The
Killing Fields.” This film provides a glimpse of the context of Cambodia’s time under the
Khmer Rouge.

Week 5: Nutrition Week

February 13 and 15
Nutrition: Science, Policies, and Practice
Guest Instructor: Professor Jessica Fanzo

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Class Plan: This lecture will examine the role of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems
approaches to tackling malnutrition. There will be a specific focus on the evidence for improving
diets and nutrition through food-based solutions in the context of rapidly changing demographic
and dietary shifts.

Required Readings:
• Global Nutrition Report 2021: The state of global nutrition. Bristol, UK: Development
Initiatives. Read chapters 1 and 2, pages 20-50.
• Swinburn, B. A., Kraak, V. I., Allender, S., Atkins, V. J., Baker, P. I., Bogard, J. R., ... &
Devarajan, R. (2021). The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change:
the Lancet Commission Report. Lancet, 791-846. Read the Executive Summary.
• Fanzo J, Rudie C, Sigman I, Grinspoon S, Benton TG, Brown ME, Covic N, Fitch K,
Golden CD, Grace D, Hivert MF, Huybers P, Jaacks LM, Masters WA, Nisbett N,
Richardson RA, Singleton CR, Webb P, Willett WC. Sustainable food systems and nutrition
in the 21st century: a report from the 22nd annual Harvard Nutrition Obesity Symposium.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Jan 11;115(1):18-33. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab315. PMID: 34523669;
PMCID: PMC8755053.
• Fanzo, J. (2021). Do we have the right to eat wrongly? Chapter 3 In: Can Fixing Dinner Fix
the Planet? Johns Hopkins Press University. Baltimore MD.

SATURDAY February 17. Professor Fanzo will hold a Nutrition Master Class.
This is open to all UFS students but is not mandatory. Registration is required.
Additional details will be provided in class.

Week 6

February 20
The Role of Livestock and Fisheries

Class Plan: Livestock and fisheries are important contributors to livelihoods and food security.
Consumption of both is on the rise as incomes increase and diets shift. Yet, both sectors have
generated growing and valid concerns because of their impacts on the environment. Livestock
production has also been associated negatively with human health and animal welfare. The EAT-
Lancet Commission has called for a radical change in diets towards plant-based foods. In this
session, we will examine the roles and trends for livestock and fisheries. How do we balance
changing consumer demand with sustainability concerns?

Required Readings:
• Mehrabi, Z., Gill, M., Wijk, M. et al. Livestock policy for sustainable development. Nat
Food 1, 160–165 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0042-9
• Cohen PJ, Simmance F, Thilsted SH, Atkins M, Barman B, Bunting S, Byrd K, Chimatiro S,
de Bruyn J, Dubois M et al. 2021. Advancing research and development outcomes with fish
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 in regional food systems. Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food
Systems. Program Brief: FISH-2021-18.

Additional Resources:
• Visit the websites of two CGIAR centers that focus on livestock and fish: ILRI and
WorldFish.
• World Economic Forum (2019). Options for the Livestock Sector in Developing and
Emerging Economies to 2030 and Beyond. Download PDF here .
• Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Northrop, E., & Lubchenco, J. (2019). The ocean is key to achieving
climate and societal goals. Science, 365(6460), 1372-1374.

February 22
Debate #1: Is Vegetarianism Necessary for Sustainable Food Systems?

Week 7

February 27 & 29
SPECIAL TOPIC led by Madiyar Nurakhmetov.

Week 8

March 5
Food Systems Transformation

Class Plan: The 1996 Rome Declaration on World Food Security provides a powerful expression of
ambition that can help shape our food systems transformation strategy: “Food security exists when
all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Achieving this
ambition will require a global food system that is productive, profitable, inclusive, healthy,
sustainable, resilient, and ethical. In this session, I will focus on five key areas of transformation—the
Big Five investment areas—as a comprehensive, multi-pronged, context-informed strategy:
sustainable intensification, market connectivity, postharvest stewardship, healthy diets, and social
protection.

Required Readings:

• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 8: Food Systems Transformation (pp. 160-181).
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 9: Sustainable Intensification (pp. 185-202).

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 • Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 10: Market Infrastructure (pp. 203-217).

No Thursday session this week.

Week 9

SPRING BREAK: March 11-15

Week 10

No Tuesday session this week.

March 21
Agricultural Value Chains: The Case of Coffee
Guest Instructor: Carl Cervone, Co-Founder of Enveritas; Startup Operator at
Protocol Labs.

Class Plan: A value chain is a sequence of steps involved in the process of production to market
delivery of a product. It provides a means of understanding relationships between businesses,
methods for increasing efficiency, and ways to enable businesses to increase productivity and add
value. Value-chain approaches are a vehicle for more effectively linking farmers to markets. We
explore agriculture and food value chains through case studies from the coffee sub-sector.

Required Readings:
The following readings and briefing papers from the USAID and ACDI/VODA Accelerated
Microenterprise Advancement Project (AMAP) are required (available on the Marketlinks Portal. In
particular, see “Key Information for Those New to the Value Chain Approach”:
https://www.marketlinks.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/key-information-those-new-
value-chain-approach Focus on the following sections to gain familiarity with the language and
methods of Value Chain Analysis.
1.1. Overview of the Value Chain Approach
1.2. Features of the Value Chain Approach
1.3. The Framework
1.4. The Project Cycle

Additional Resources:
• Webber, C.M. & P. Labaste (2010) Building Competitiveness in Africa’s Agriculture: A
Guide to Value Chain Concepts and Applications. The World Bank Group.

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 • USAID & DAI (2008) CIBER: Enhancing Competitiveness Impacts of Business
Environment Reforms: A Value-Chain Approach for Analysis and Action. USAID.
• Kaplinsky, R. & M. Morris (2001) A Handbook for Value Chain Research. IDRC.
• Henning, R., Donahue, N.A. & M. Brand (2008) End Market Research Toolkit. USAID,
OTF Group, EcoVentures International, & ACDI/VOCA under the Accelerated
Microenterprise Advancement Project – Business Development Services (AMAP BDS)
Knowledge and Practice II Task Order.

Week 11

March 26
Food Loss and Waste

Class Plan: Since FAO’s landmark report in 2011 reported that one-third of food produced is lost
or wasted, there has been a groundswell of interest and support for reducing postharvest losses and
waste. In 2015, postharvest stewardship was firmly established in the global development agenda
through inclusion of a target under SDG 12 “Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns.” Target 12.3 stated “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer
levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.” As
we know from all fields of endeavor, setting goals and targets is not enough. We require a strategy
and resources to meet those goals and targets. A first step is to be clear about what we mean by food
losses and waste, terms that are frequently used interchangeably. As a result of efforts by FAO,
UNEP, and others, we now have pragmatic working definitions that can improve our understanding
and sharing of knowledge and experience. There are also myriad technical, policy, and institutional
solutions that can reduce postharvest losses and waste. Drawing on the best evidence available, I will
present a set of strategic actions that can serve as a checklist for policy makers and development
specialists committed to taking action to advance postharvest stewardship—one of the Big Five
investment areas for food systems transformation.

Required Readings/Viewing:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 11: Postharvest Stewardship (pp. 218-232).
• Video: Filmed in Tunisia (watch it, it may change your life) (2 minutes 44 seconds)
• FAO. 2019. The State of Food and Agriculture 2019. Moving forward on food loss and
waste reduction. (Rome: FAO, 2019). (Covers both loss and waste: read pages 8-23 for a
summary of the report findings.)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food Waste Index Report 2021
(Nairobi: UNEP, 2021). (A deeper dive into food waste: read pages 7-19 for summary and
key findings.)

Additional Resources:

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 • Shanes et al (2018) Food waste matters - A systematic review of household food waste
practices and their policy implications. Read the Abstract, Introduction, Table 3, and
Conclusion. The full paper is highly recommended to anyone seriously interested in
understanding and reducing food waste.

March 28
Brief But Spectacular (Part 1)

Week 12

April 2
Social Protection

Class Plan. When people are unable to provide for themselves, often through no fault of their own,
society can and often does step in to protect and support the most vulnerable through systems,
policies, and programs that are collectively described as social protection. As many as 1.5 billion
people cannot meet their food requirements through agricultural production and/or purchases
based on regular employment. These people are food insecure as they do not have stable access to a
healthy balanced diet. In this class, we will examine the various types of social protection programs
have been devised and implemented to fill the gaps, including direct food aid in disaster and non-
disaster settings, as well as voucher programs and cash transfer programs that are increasingly
employed by governments, aid agencies, and NGOs. We will also discuss the implications of conflict
and food security.

Required reading:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 13: Social Protection (pp. 252-267) & Chapter 14 (pp. 280-284 on
COVID-19 and social protection).

Additional Resources:
• Alderman, Harold, Ugo Gentilini, and Ruslan Yemtsov. 2018. The 1.5 Billion People
Question: Food, Vouchers, or Cash Transfers? Washington, DC: World Bank.
• Alderman, Harold. 2016. “Leveraging Social Protection Programs for Improved Nutrition:
Summary of Evidence Prepared for the Global Forum on Nutrition-Sensitive Social
Protection Programs, 2015.” World Bank, Washington, DC.
• de Groot, R., Palermo, T., Handa, S., Ragno, L. P., & Peterman, A. (2017). Cash transfers
and child nutrition: pathways and impacts. Development Policy Review, 35(5), 621-643.

April 4
Case #3: Youth mobilization for food system transformation
Guest Speakers: The Farmlink Project
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Week 13

April 9 & 11
SPECIAL TOPIC led by Madiyar Nurakhmetov.

Week 14

April 16 & 18
Brief But Spectacular (Parts 2 & 3)

Week 15

April 23
Delivering Universal Food Security

Class Plan: In the penultimate session of the course, we will tackle the all-important question, So
what? We have the knowledge to transform food systems. But how will we implement a coherent
and context-determined strategy of investments: The Big Five? We will identify agents of transformation
and discuss the need for a whole-of-society approach, requiring contributions from the public, private,
and third (not-for-profit) sectors, along with universities and the public at large.

Required Readings:
• Denning, Glenn (2023) Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the
Planet. Read Chapter 15: More than a Miracle (pp. 287-307).

Additional Resources:
• Ben Ramalingam et al., “Principles to Guide Adaptive Leadership,” Harvard Business Review,
September 11, 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/09/5-principles-to-guide-adaptive-leadership.
• Lisa Dreier, David Nabarro, and Jane Nelson, Systems Leadership for Sustainable
Development: Strategies for Achieving Systemic Change (Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard
Kennedy School, September 2019),
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/publications/fwp/crisept2019.

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SIPA Academic Integrity Statement:

The School of International & Public Affairs does not tolerate cheating and/or plagiarism in any
form. Those students who violate the Code of Academic & Professional Conduct will be subject
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Please familiarize yourself with the proper methods of citation and attribution. The School provides
some useful resources online; we strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with these various
styles before conducting your research:

SIPA Disability Statement:

SIPA is committed to ensuring that students registered with Columbia University’s Disability
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