Food is essential and meaningful. Attention to the production, availability, and consumption of food has been heightened along with research into effects of climate change, the global incidents of the adulteration of food causing death and injury, growing rates of obesity and poor nutrition leading to chronic disease, rising food prices due to energy costs that threaten food security in impoverished communities, and the controversial development of genetically modified foods. Food has become a source of anxiety and conflict. While stories of contaminated foods fuel social anxieties over the vulnerability of the food supply, the increasing number of food riots in the developing world indicates a gross imbalance in a distribution system that creates fatal deprivation and wasteful abundance. In this interdisciplinary course we will examine agricultural production, the science of food, the global supply chain of food commodities, food safety and food-borne pathogens, malnutrition, diet and nutrition regimes, and the politics around food justice movements. Food is entangled in historical, political, economic, social, and ethical systems that serve to shape our identities, our communities, and our ideological beliefs. Through the lens of food, we will examine how the future of human health is intimately tied to the future of how and what we will eat.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyse the modern food system and its devastating consequences to human health and the environment
2. Develop writing skills through critically reading and reflecting on the theoretical literature.
3. Work collaboratively to produce original research that contributes to public scholarship on the topic.
   
4. Gain awareness of local and global organizations involved with food production and food justice movements.
5. Actively participate in the debate to find solutions to food related problems.

Required Resources

All the readings are available via the wattle course site or via the ANU library system. Chapters from ebooks held by the ANU library are indicated. It is your responsibility to download the readings and bring them to class for further discussion.

Please check your ANU email regularly. I will periodically send emails to the class so please make sure to monitor your ANU email to stay abreast of any new announcements. 

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

The readings have been carefully selected for each thematic session and it is expected that students complete all the assigned readings for that week before attending class. If you invest time and effort into the readings you will find the course material to be thought-provoking and intellectually rewarding. It is in your interest to attend all classes in order to receive the maximum benefit of taking this course. Active student participation in discussion is vital to having an engaging and lively class. Thus, students are expected to come prepared for interaction. Each student’s contribution will enrich our time together so please do your part. 

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction
2	Modern Industrial Foods
3	Technological Tastes
4	Obesity and Capitalism
5	The Violence of Mass Production
6	Food Risk and Safety
7	Presentation of Photo Essays and Outline of Final Projects	Photo essays due
8	Cheap Meat
9	Biotechnology and the Engineering of Food
10	Politics of Eating as Resistance
11	The Future of Food Justice
12	Final Projects DUE for Presentation	Final projects due

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Photo Essay	20 %	24/10/2019	15/11/2019	1-5
Presentation and Leading Discussion	15 %	24/10/2019	15/11/2019	1-5
Online Discussion Board Postings	15 %	24/10/2019	15/11/2019	1-5
Final Project	50 %	24/10/2019	15/11/2019	1-5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Photo Essay

 *This assignment is designed to encourage you to think creatively about communicating the critical issues related to the modern food system.*

Select a theme for your photo essay. Create and curate 5 images with an introductory statement (about 300 words) and captions (about 200 words for each caption) explaining the relevance of each image for a total of 1200-1500 words.

Assessment Task 2

Presentation and Leading Discussion

*This activity is designed to help students practice public presentation and develop critical thinking skills.*

Each student will be required to make a presentation and lead class discussion for one class session. On the day that you present the material you will be responsible for generating a set of questions for the class to facilitate class discussion.

Assessment Task 3

Online Discussion Board Postings

*This assignment is designed to help you think openly and concretely about the topic matter at hand, prepare you for class discussion, and facilitate reflection on your comprehension of the reading material.*

A student discussion forum is set up on the course wattle site. All students are required to submit entries based on the weekly readings to this discussion board.

Assessment Task 4

Final Project

*This project is designed to challenge you to integrate the ideas from the readings and apply them to an interactive project. The activities will deepen your engagement with the theoretical material and encourage you to articulate the application of the course material to relevant examples.* Each student will conduct original research on any topic related to the food system and write a final paper (5000 words).

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Late submission and extensions will only be allowed for the photo essay assignment and final project.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students