COURSE CURRICULUM

This course focuses on the global forces shaping food security, agriculture, and rural livelihoods. It explores key themes such as global food systems, environmental change, agricultural trade, and policy development, with a particular emphasis on how these factors affect food security and rural communities. Throughout the program, students will critically assess the impact of trends like changing diets, environmental shifts, and global agricultural practices, and how these changes influence poverty, inequality, and social structures, especially in rural areas. The course also addresses the role of rural policies and politics, guiding students to analyze the socio-economic and political contexts that influence policy decisions related to land, agriculture, social protection, and trade. Students will explore the dynamics of rural livelihoods, with a focus on gender, class, and poverty, equipping them with the tools to understand and critique livelihood strategies and their effects on rural communities. In addition, the course offers modules on globalized agriculture and food systems, emphasizing food security debates and the role of international policy actors such as the FAO, major donors, and farmers’ movements. A key aspect of the program is research preparation, where students learn research theory and methodology to prepare for their dissertations or analytical reports. This training equips students with qualitative and quantitative research skills necessary for examining rural development challenges. Students also have opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research in the field of global development, gaining valuable insights through seminars and workshops. By the end of the course, students will be well-prepared for careers in rural development, agricultural policy, and international organizations.