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, to marketing.
In Thessaloniki (Greece's second largest city), they will visit farms (olives, rice, grapes, herbs, greenhouses, etc.), a winery, and the American Farm School and Perrotis College. They will travel by bus through the agricultural heartland of Greece, stopping to visit a medieval monastery. In Athens, they will visit the Acropolis and Parthenon.
From Greece students will travel to Naples, Italy to visit the archeological site of Pompeii. The visit to Rome will introduce students to the United Nations Food and Agriculture organizations based there as well as the world renowned gastronomy of Italy.
Overall, the program takes a systems perspective in understanding the interactions among agriculture, food and culture, including an historical perspective looking back over 2000 years. Students will visit at least 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
3 credits for GLOBE 496 or AGRON 496 or AGRON 596
Spring Semester pre-departure course meets 5:00-6:40 pm on December 5, February 6 and 13, March 6 and 27, April 10, 17, 24, and May 1
This program was offered in 2023 and 2024.