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43701-01 - Seminar: Interdisciplinary Approach to Sustainability: Alternative Food Networks and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Antonia Kaiser (antonia.kaiser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The seminar is offered within the scope of the program "Pathways to Sustainability" (formerly known as "Transfaculty Cross Section Program Sustainable Development/Transfakultäres Querschnittsprogramm TQNE": https://msd.unibas.ch/en/study-programs/pathways-to-sustainability-tqne/). The program consists of 3 introductory lectures with practical courses (lecture A and B are offered in fall semesters, C is offered in spring semesters) dedicated to conveying the foundations of sustainable development. An additional integration seminar (D, offered in spring semesters) engages with interdisciplinary work. The assignment and completion of D requires the successful completion of two lectures from the above mentioned lectures A, B and C. In recent years, there has been an increase in organizations that seek to manage food systems in an alternative, more sustainable and democratic way. Such emerging food initiatives are most commonly known as ‘Alternative Food Networks’ (AFNs). Although there is a great variety of AFNs – examples include community supported agriculture, farmers’ markets, fair trade, food co-operatives, and urban agriculture – they often share similar goals. Forming a counter-movement to the agri-industrial food system, they typically strive to facilitate social, economic and environmental change to address (some of) the sustainability crises that global food value chains are facing. However, there is an ongoing debate concerning the extent to which AFNs are able to deliver upon their far-reaching sustainability promises. In this seminar, we will focus on the example of AFNs as a potential transformative force toward a more sustainable agri-food system and examine concrete cases from an interdisciplinary perspective. We will start with an overview of different types of AFNs and situate them in the current agri-food system. Following an introduction of some of the key debates surrounding the dynamic field of AFNs in agri-food research, we will familiarize ourselves with inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to investigate such initiatives and their transformative potential. Based on participants’ prior training in disciplinary perspectives on sustainability and the inputs provided in this seminar, interdisciplinary groups of participants will each examine one AFN/initiative of their choice (a list of suitable cases will be provided). After a first introductory session, the further sessions will be dedicated to group work on the case studies, supervised by the lecturer. Participants will condense their findings onto a poster and present it to their peers and invited AFN practitioners toward the end of the semester. The in-depth, interdisciplinary examinations of AFNs will allow us to draw conclusions about how new agri-food initiatives challenge conventional food value chains, what their social, economic and environmental impacts are, and how this can lead to transformative change in the food system. |
| Learning objectives | On completion of this course, students will be able to: - Demonstrate an understanding of inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, as well as of key concepts and scientific debates concerning AFNs - Work in interdisciplinary teams to describe and empirically examine an AFN’s contribution to a sustainable agri-food system, linking perspectives from economics, natural and social sciences - Reflect on the transformative potential of AFNs - Structure and summarize findings onto a scientific poster and present it to peers |
| Bibliography | Tba during class. |
| Comments | Special online course inscription requested for ALL students, for details see "Course application" ("Anmeldung"). Irregular timetable. For detailed list of dates see online directory section "Dates & Rooms". Extra certificate Upon completion of the entire program "Pathways to Sustainability" and the enrolled degree program at the University of Basel students may order an additional certificate. For this purpose students send an email to coordination-msd@unibas.ch, attach their official final degree transcript (Zeugnis) and put their address. The certificate will be sent by postage. MSD 2017 Credit points may be transferred to the "Focal Areas of Sustainability Research" module (learning agreement), unless you have a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business or you have attended a class with similar content earlier (then the CP of this lecture C cannot be recognized for the MSD curriculum). This course is offered by the program "Pathways to Sustainablilty (formerly named as TQ NE) & MSD. For details see: https://msd.unibas.ch/en/study-courses/pathways-to-sustainability-tqne/ Dr. A. Kaiser holds a teaching assignment and is a staff member of the Department of Social Sciences, Univ. of Basel. |
| Admission requirements | Special online course inscription requested for ALL students, for details see section "Course application" ("Anmeldung"). Limited number of participants (25). Students of the MSD (incl. MSD preparation semester and JIDSD) have a first priority. Participation requirements for students NOT studying the MSD/JIDSD: Students have to study at least in the third semester (bachelor level) or higher, and have passed two of the following three lectures successfully (or all of them): - LV A: 41828: Perspectives of Natural Sciences on Sustainable Developemt (in fall 2024 or earlier); - LV B: 41829: Perspectives of Social Sciences on Sustainable Developemt (in fall 2024 or earlier); - and/or LV C: 43700: Perspectives of Economics on Sustainable Developemt (enrolled in spring 2025 or passed earlier). |
| Course application | Please note entry requirements. For details see section "admission requirements". Mandatory application for ALL! Link open from 15.01.25/noon-04.02.25/midnight: NOTE: Link only guides to the ADAM website. You have to DO THE LOGIN to get access to the survey. First emails with confirmation of participation will be sent out at the end of the first deadline. In case of vacancies the online application LINK remains OPEN until 09.03.25/midnight. Course enrollment on online services should be completed by the beginning of the teaching period (withdrawal possible until Monday of teaching week five). |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
| Comments | Irregular timetable, for details see list below. |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 06.03.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 27.03.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 03.04.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 10.04.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 24.04.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 15.05.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Thursday 22.05.2025 | 10.15-14.00 | Vesalianum, Seminarraum (O2.02) |
| Modules |
Grundkurse (Transfakultäre Querschnittsprogramme im freien Kreditpunkte-Bereich) Module: Resources and Sustainability (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Specialization Module Global Europe: Environment and Sustainability (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Compulsory attendance in presence, active participation, oral presentation, written project report. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | University of Basel |
| Offered by | Departement Umweltwissenschaften |