| Course Name |
(中) 世界糧食問題(0638) |
| (Eng.) World Food Problems |
| Offering Dept |
General Education Center |
| Course Type |
Required |
Credits |
2 |
Teacher |
Szu-Hung Chen |
| Department |
General |
Language |
English |
Semester |
2025-FALL |
| Course Description |
Through an interdisciplinary scope, this course explores the global challenges of food security, including hunger, malnutrition, food production, and distribution. It examines the social, economic, and environmental factors shaping food systems and investigates food sovereignty, poverty, climate change, and population growth. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the interconnected systems driving world food problems and evaluate sustainable solutions for global cooperation, ethical food practices, and agricultural sustainability; furthermore, link the SDGs implementation to solve real-world problems. |
| Prerequisites |
|
self-directed learning in the course |
Y |
| Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%) |
Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives |
| Course Objectives |
Competency Indicators |
Ratio(%) |
Teaching Methods |
Assessment Methods |
By the end of this course, students will:
1. Understand the causes and consequences of global food insecurity and malnutrition.
2. Analyze the social, economic, and environmental factors influencing food production and distribution systems.
3. Examine the impact of poverty, climate change, and population growth on global food systems.
4. Apply critical thinking to assess policies and strategies to ensure equitable and sustainable food security.
5. Foster awareness of global cooperation initiatives and their importance in addressing hunger and malnutrition. |
| 5.International Perspective |
| 6.Social Care |
|
|
| topic Discussion/Production |
| Exercises |
| Discussion |
| Lecturing |
| Other |
|
| Attendance |
| Oral Presentation |
| Assignment |
| Quiz |
|
| Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule |
| Week |
Course Content |
| Week 1 |
Introduction and Background Overview(I)
1. Introduction to the course;
2. Ice-breaking section;
3. Introduction to world food issues |
| Week 2 |
Introduction and Background Overview(II)
1. Historical context of food problems
2. SDGs implementation and world good issues |
| Week 3 |
Introduction and Background Overview(III)
1.Understanding malnutrition: definition and types
2.How to measure ”Hunger?”
*In-class activity (Tentative): Short quiz or interative group competition
*In-class activity(Tentative): |
| Week 4 |
Impacts and Distribution of Hunger
1.Consequences of hunger on health and society
*In-class discussion(Tentative): Who is affected, when, and where? |
| Week 5 |
Holiday: National Day (Oct. 10th) |
| Week 6 |
Economic Perspectives on Food Supply and Demand
1.Basic economic principles of supply and demand in food markets
2.Factors influencing food availability
3.Impact of increasing population on food resources |
| Week 7 |
Poverty, Prosperity, and Food Access
1.Economic disparities and their effect on food security
2.Eaquility issues regarding food distribution
*In-class discussion(Tentative): ”Food for Thought: Access and Equity” |
| Week 8 |
Review section
1.Synthetic reviews regarding contents from Week 1 to 7;
2.Mid-term review section |
| Week 9 |
Mid-term Exam |
| Week 10 |
Environmental Challenges to Agriculture
1.Issues related to agricultural land and water resources
2.Effects of environmental degradation and climate change on food production
*In-class activity (Tentative): ”The Global Grain Market Similation” (Group) |
| Week 11 |
Technological Innovations in Food Production
1.Potential and challenges of new agricultural technologies
2.Case studies on technological interventions
3.Final Project Instruction |
| Week 12 |
Education and Food Security;
1.Concepts and examples of food and agriculture eduction
2.Final Project Development
*In-class discussion(Tentative): Group arrangement; Brain-storming for potential subject |
| Week 13 |
Policy Approaches to Alleviating Hunger
1. Philosophical perspectives on food policy
2. Roles of governments, NGOs, and international organizations
*In-class exercise(Tentative): Mind-mapping (based on the final project subject) |
| Week 14 |
Future Scenarios and Sustainable Solutions
1. Stratefies and actions for achieving long-term food security
2. Guest speaker: ”Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Global Food Security: Pathways to Sustainable Development” |
| Week 15 |
Final Project Group Presentation (I)
*Friday, December 19 |
| Week 16 |
Final Project Group Presentation (II)
*Friday, December 26
*Completing the individual post-project seld-assessment by 23:30 pm pf Tuesday, December 30 |
self-directed
learning |
01.Participation in professional forums, lectures, and corporate sharing sessions related to industry-government-academia-research exchange activities.
02.Viewing multimedia materials related to industry and academia.
1. Nov. 17-18, self-participation for the GEAR-UP Forum and related lecture series.
2. Supplementary documents (e.g.,case studies) reading and video watching. |
|
| Evaluation |
(1) Group project development and oral presentation: 25%;
(2) Individual post-project Assessment:15%;
(3) Mid-term exam: 25%;
(4) Class activities and engagement (e.g., discussion, short quiz, in-class exercises, etc.): 25 %;
(5) Class attendance: 10% |
| Textbook & other References |
There are no mandatory reference books. Course handouts will be made available through NCHU iLearning if needed.
However, essential reference books are provided below. Several selected chapters in these references may be synthesized or cited in class materials.
[Book #1] The World Food Problem: Toward Understanding and Ending Undernutrition in the Developing World (6th ed.) by H.D. Leathers and K.L. Leonard, 2022, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
[Book #2] The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023, FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. |
| Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website |
NCHU iLearning may also be used to conduct quiz/exams, to submit course exercises, to broadcast announcements, and so on.
It can be accessed via NCHU iLearning Portal (https://lms2020.nchu.edu.tw/ ) or NCHU Single Sign On System. |
| Office Hours |
| By Appointment |
| Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs(Link URL) |
| 01.No Poverty 02.Zero Hunger 03.Good Health and Well-Being 04.Quality Education 05.Gender Equality 08.Decent Work and Economic Growth 10.Reduced Inequalities 11.Sustainable Cities and Communities 12.Responsible Consumption 13.Climate Action 14.Life Below Water 15.Life On Land 16.Peace and Justice 17.Partnerships for the Goals | include experience courses：N |
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