processes which lead to the wide array of foods, which are available in developed countries. We start from the events of domestication, pass through the Green Revolution, and end with major plant crop commodities (such as bananas and coffee) being cultivated by “agribusiness” or also by “sustainable” farming methods. We also look at major issues related to agriculture today: for example, the development of biofuels which may use food stocks, and diseases and pests which threaten important monocultures. We look at the major achievements in agriculture of the 20th century, and try to anticipate the important uses and vulnerabilities of plant crops in the 21st century.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Domestication of major animals and crops (timing and place, in order to set the scene for when humans made major steps in controlling and managing their food supply).

Common Food Commodities which are important today.

Grains (concentrating on wheat, corn, and rice—where grown, population served, cultivation requirements).

The Green Revolution (with fertilizers)

Pollination and the issue of Biotic Pollinators

Food for Export, e.g. Coffee, Cocoa, Bananas

Biotech crops—definition, first generation traits (Bt, herbicide resistance), newer traits, seed ownership

Sugar: crop sources.

Monocultures

Crop Pests, Diseases and Pesticides, imminent threats: e.g. wheat rust, FOC

Agrobiodiversity

While the topic is interdisciplinary, the viewpoint most used here is Ecological.  The focus is on plant crop traits, under the influence of human selection: emphasizing domestication, and then traits preferred from the 20^th century onwards. Current events with ecological importance are also covered: pollinator stress, climate impacts, monocultures and biodiversity.

Class attendance is required.  More than four unexcused absences will lower the grade by one whole point (e.g. from B to C).  Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.

IMPORTANT:  The Registrar decides the day of  the Final Exams.  

Recent articles (year 2022) will be added, mentioned/discussed in class, and uploaded to Moodle.

Week 1: Common Food Commodities
Reading: <Explore Data> at FAO of the UN: start at http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home. Extra: USDA Global Crop Production Analysis http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/ 

Week 2: Domestication of major crops (timing and place, in order to set the scene for when humans made major steps in controlling and managing their food supply), the First Agricultural Revolution.
Reading: Jared Diamond, “Evolution, consequences and future of plant and animal domestication,” in Nature, 2002; and DQ Fuller, “An emerging paradigm shift in the origins of agriculture,” in General Anthropology, 2010 [Moodle]. 

Optional reading: K Brown, New Trips through the Back Alleys of Agriculture, Science, 27 April 2001, Vol 292, p. 631-633; Seeking Agriculture's Ancient Roots, Michael Balter (June 29, 2007), Science 316 (5833), 1830-1835. [doi: 10.1126/science.316.5833.1830] [both Moodle].

Week 3 to 4: Grains and Concept of Varieties, Traits

Lots that you can read, the texts are not too scientific.

A good overview of the Cereals, is found at “Save and Grow in Practice, Maize Rice Wheat,” published by UN FAO, 2016, and available www.fao.org/3/a-i4009e.pdf . You can focus on the chapters/pages of interest.

Wheat. Reading: 1. Curtis, BC. 2002, “Wheat in the world” in Curtis, BC et al. (eds.) Bread Wheat: Improvement and Production (FAO Plant Production and Protection Series No. 30), Rome, FAO, pp. 1–19. [online http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y4011e/y4011e04.htm] . This is an older text, but less specialistic, so more comprehensible for an introductory class.

Corn. Reading: The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by M Pollan (Chapters 1 and 2, but you might enjoy reading more), book on reserve in Frohring Library. And, “Growth and Production of Maize,” by W. Verheye, 2010, online at biblio.ugent.be and in Moodle folder.

Rice. Reading: “An overview of global rice production, supply, trade, and consumption,” by Sumithra Muthayya et al., 2014. Available at https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nyas.12540 and in Moodle folder.

Optional/Additional Rice articles at: “Rice Today,” and the “Rice Knowledge Bank,” both are at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) web site.

Week 5: The Green Revolution. Reading: “Green Revolutionary,” by John Pollock, Technology Review, published by MIT, January/February 2008 [Moodle], “The Famine Fighter's Last Battle,” by Erik Stokstad, DOI: 10.1126/science.324_710a

Science 324 (5928), 710-712, (extra: “Biotechnology and the Green Revolution Norman Borlaug” at http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech-info/topics/borlaug/special.html and http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech-info/topics/borlaug/bioscience.html) .

Then: “We Need a New Green Revolution” by P A Sharp and A Leshner, Jan 4, 2016, The New York Times [Moodle]

Week 6:  Mechanization, Digitalization & Fertilizers: all are critical innovations in agriculture from the 20^th c. and onwards with major repercussions for trade, property rights and more. We will focus on one issue relevant to actual events.

Week 7: Midterm.

Week 7: Pollinators and CCD. This subject is changing quickly, see class notes. Readings: 1. UNEP 2010 - UNEP Emerging Issues: Global Honey Bee Colony Disorder and Other Threats to Insect Pollinators [Moodle]; 2. Honey Bee Health and Colony Collapse Disorder, USDA [online https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/br/ccd/index/]; 3. J Tylianakis, “Global Plight of Pollinators,” 2013 [Moodle], 4. AAAS online, “Science: Common Crop Pesticide Harms Bumblebee and Honeybee Species,” 29 March 2012, by Kathy Wren and Natasha D. Pinol (with short video) at https://www.aaas.org/news/science-common-crop-pesticide-harms-bumblebee-and-honeybee-species, 5. “Agriculture is Forever Changed in Ontario — 4 Lessons Learned from the Neonic Restriction Process,” RealAgriculture Agronomy Team , August 7, 2015, by Terry Daynard [Moodle] and 6. article compendium <Pollinators_2007_to_2016> [Moodle]

Week 8:  Bananas: FOC, Monocultures. Readings: go to www.promusa.org, then read “The hidden side of banana diversity,” by Anne Vézina, direct link is http://www.promusa.org/blogpost516-The-hidden-side-of-banana-diversity and; open Musapedia tab, and then scroll down and open <Tropical Race 4>. Or, read: C. Canine, “Building a Better Banana” at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/building-a-better-banana-70543194/ and in [Moodle], OR M. Peed, “We Have No Bananas,” the New Yorker, 2011 [Moodle],“Scientists race to halt banana catastrophe,” by C E Lucci, E Nakkazi, I Vesper, Y-H Law, 29/02/16 [Moodle]_.

Week 9-10: Biotech Plant Crops, also called GMOs
New articles may be substituted, since the information is changing quickly—I’ll write a note on Moodle.

Readings:  see Moodle, for articles and guidance on which to read.  This is a subject which changes quickly—the required articles are listed here, but I will update based on recent news and student interest.

·   Required: First 18 pages of USDA, 2014, Genetically engineered crops in the US [Moodle]
·   Required: Executive Summary of the “Global status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2018” at             http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/default.asp (ISAAA)·   

“  Required, the first page of “Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. -- the first sixteen years,” by Charles M Benbrook, in Environmental Sciences Europe 2012, 24:24 doi:10.1186/2190-4715-24-24. [keyword to find on line, Research Gate has open copies.]
·   Required: Agent Orange, Wikipedia & Monsanto [Moodle has condensed articles]

·  Required: Platt, Agrochemical seed mergers, and Sygenta History [Moodle]

·   Recommended:  “Why Roundup Ready Crops Have Lost their Allure” by Jordan Wilkerson, figures by           Brian Chow, http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/roundup-ready-crops/ , Comments have good           info also. [also in Moodle]
·  Recommended:  Compendium: “Scientists against GMOs,” by J. Edwards, August 2015.  [Moodle]

·  Highly recommended!  Ted Genoways, August 17, 2015, New Republic, “Corn Wars”  [Moodle]

Week 11:  Food for Export, e.g. Coffee, Sugar.

Overview, keywords: < https://www.sciencedirect.com › topics › engineering › cane-sugar>
Reading: The Biology and Ecology of Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids), Australian government, December 2004—a long document, read to get the essential facts [Moodle].

Week 12: Soybeans