Mitigating Agriculture's Impact

This course will examine a range of solutions that address the impacts of agriculture. Impact subject areas will be focused primarily on the environment (air, soil, water, land use, climate change, biodiversity), although social justice and human health issues will also be touched upon. Examined mitigation strategies will include agro-ecosystem best management practices, new technologies, and supply chain relationships, among others. Lecture content will focus on specific case studies as much as possible. The course is divided into four modules which will each focus on a single commodity that represents a different set of impacts and mitigation strategies. These commodities are beef, aqua-cultured salmon, palm oil, and fresh-sold tomatoes. Brief contextual reference to the economic and social importance of each commodity will be made at the beginning of each module. By doing a deep dive in each of these modules, students will gain a significant appreciation for the mitigation strategy opportunities available in the production, processing, and distribution specific to an agricultural resource type.