Abstract:

Agroecology courses focused on sustainable farming and food systems emphasize reliance on local renewable resources and conditions, and on nearby markets. Today these systems operate within a globalized food system, and farmer decisions are impacted by food imports and prices, plus weather and political conditions elsewhere. In the Norwegian Agroecology M.Sc. program, student teams engage with farmers and food systems stakeholders to envision goals and future directions, recognizing how local systems decisions relate to global realities. Students requested more attention to global-local linkages, and their initiative led to more economic and social dimensions in our curriculum. In 2018 they selected topics in policy issues and global economics; environmental impacts of farming/ food systems; gender and other social issues; urbanization and land use; future agricultural production methods; and land and labor questions. International breadth becomes important because many students choose thesis topics with biophysical and/or socioeconomic dimensions in other countries where conditions are different. From student feedback and discussions we are convinced that exploring global perspectives in the M.Sc. curriculum prepares graduates to function well in a future with local and global focus. We report student opinions, teacher observations, and future curricula with even greater emphasis on international dimensions of agriculture.