Middlebury

IPOL 8639

Sem: Sustainable Agriculture

Despite several decades of research and practice, "sustainable agriculture" remains more an idea than a reality. We all depend on the world's farmers to keep us alive, yet we also expect them to minimize their ecological footprint, contribute to social well-being, and prosper financially. This triple mandate is onerous to say the least, especially as the world's population increases by another 3 bilion people between now and 2050, and demand for agricultural products doubles over the next 40 years. This class examines sustainable agriculture in detail, focusing on whether and how agriculture can meet rising productivity requirements while at the same time embodying sustainability. Key questions to be explored include: what does "sustainable agriculture" really mean? How can we measure agricultural sustainability? How sustainable is agriculture currently? Which policies support and/or detract from sustainable agriculture? What will it take to expand sustainable agriculture to a scale commensurate with the rising human population? How do answers to these questions vary across crops and countries?
Subject:
International Policy
Department:
International Policy
Division:
Intl Policy & Management
Requirements Fulfilled:

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