Food and environmental history

This course explores key concepts, issues, and methodologies related to both food and environmental history. Students will examine the short- and long-term impacts of human activity on climate, as well as on the availability of natural and food resources. Economic drivers of change will provide a framework for analyzing these dynamics within major themes in world history, including capitalism, industrialization, urbanization, warfare, colonialism, and globalization. The course will also consider the complexity of economic growth and the many factors that have historically influenced it—such as institutions, technology, markets, and policies—within a broader perspective. It will highlight implications that mainstream economics often dismisses as minor externalities. Ultimately, the course aims to raise awareness of the delicate balance governing the use of ecological and food resources by examining how their exploitation has unfolded over time and considering how history might have taken a different path.

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the key characteristics of pre-industrial economies and demographics.
- Explain how the "rise of the West," beginning in the 16th century, transformed the global food and ecological landscape.
- Understand the concept of self-sustained growth, how and when it emerged in different regions since the Industrial Revolution, and its relationship with the availability of natural and food resources.
- Analyze how governance and the management of human activities—through institutions, property relations, and policies—have influenced the environment, as well as the production and distribution of food.
- Explain the dynamics of market integration and globalization and their effects on food supply and environmental resources.
- Draw connections between historical and contemporary issues.
Additionally, the course will enhance the analytical skills of the students and further develop their ability to conduct independent research through group assignments. These assignments will also help students refine their ability to effectively communicate research findings, both orally and in writing.