This course provides students with a guided exploration of food, culture, and agriculture in two Mediterranean countries (Italy and Greece). It exposes students to food systems from production to distribution, marketing, and policies and regulations associated with the European Union.
The visit to Rome will introduce students to the United Nations organizations based there, the world-renowned gastronomy of Italy, and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
In Athens, students will visit the world-famous Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum. They will travel by bus through the agricultural heartland of Greece, stopping at 2 major historical sites. In Thessaloniki ( Greece's second-largest city), they will visit livestock and crop farms( olives, rice, grapes, herbs, greenhouses, etc.) and the American Farm School and Perrotis College.
Overall, the program takes a systems perspective in understanding the interactions among agriculture, food, and culture, including the impacts of climate change.
3 credits for GLOBE 496 or AGRON 496 or AGRON 596
Pre-departure course will meet from 5:00 pm-6:40 pm on November 27, February 1 and 8, March 21 and 28, April 4, 11, 18, and 25. Location TBD.