Course number

G-ECON31 6A594 LE82 G-ECON31 6A594 LE43

Course title(and course International Agribusiness Studies
title inEnglish)

Instructor's
name, job title,and departmentof affiliation

International Agribusiness Studies

Target year

1st year students or above Number of credits 2Days and periodsMon.3,4 隔週開講Class style

LectureGraduate School of Economics
Professor,HISANO SHUJI

Year/semesters 2023/First semester

Language of instruction English[Overview and purpose of the course]
Our consistent and overarching theme of this course is how to investigate and understand the power ofbusiness as a political actor, especially the role of multinational corporations vis-a-vis the role of states andcivil society actors. In the years of 2019 and 2020, this course provided a comprehensive analysis of social,economic, political, cultural and environmental issues surrounding specific agricultural products along theagri-food value chains (a global flow of the food from upstream to downstream across borders). In the year of2021, we turned our attention to one of the ongoing structural processes with profound influences on agrifood systems and rural economies around the world: financialisation. Through reading a relevant textbook,we critically examined the impacts of financialisation in the food industry and in farming and forestry, as wellas the impacts on rural actors and communities. Then in the year of 2022, we read together articles on thepolitical economy of healthy and sustainable food systems published in International Journal of Health Policy
and Management as a special issue on Political Economy of Food Systems. They include several systemic
review articles using various methods of literature search, review, and analysis, while some others usenarrative review methods to analyse policy making and governance processes. Through reading these articles,
we learned how to conduct qualitative literature reviews and narrative analyses. Tackling these topics in thepast years, what we kept in mind in our review and discussion was power relations within and behind theprocess of agri-food businesses development and transformation; how powerful business actors are able toexert a direct and indirect influence on the process of international and national policy making (agendasetting) and governance of agri-food systems.
This semester, however, we will turn our eyes to a rather broader framework, or research agenda, to explore
the pressing issues that confront food systems and the emerging responses to them: from the contribution offood production to climate breakdown to the emergence of regionalised and regenerative food systems; fromthe contribution of alternative proteins in dietary change to the potential of digital agriculture in sustainability
transition; from the persistence of food poverty to the development of urban food systems; etc.
[Course objectives]
By the end of this course, having read the literature and actively participated in discussion, students should be
able to acquire a deep understanding and critical insight into the state of global food systems, the process andmechanism of food systems governance, and the role of powerful political and business actors: how and inwhat way they are able to exert their influence on food systems governance; and if and how it is possible tochallenge such a hegemonic regime and bring food systems governance more democratic and genuinelyparticipatory.
[Course schedule and contents]
We are going to read the following book (tentatively): Colin L. Sage, ed. (2022) A Research Agenda for Food
Systems. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Continue to International Agribusiness Studies (2)↓↓↓

International Agribusiness Studies (2)Week 1 (April 10): Guidance
Week 2-3 (April 17): Introduction: A Research Agenda for Food Systems by Colin L. Sage
Week 4-5 (May 1): The rise of big food and agriculture: corporate influence in the food system by Jennifer
Clapp / The food system, planetary boundaries and eating for 1.5°C: the case for mutualism andcommensality within a safe and just operating space for humankind by Colin L. SageWeek 6-7 (May 22): Agricultural labour in the global food system by Alicia Reigada and Carlos de Castro /Food systems and food poverty by Martin Caraher
Week 8-9 (June 5): Reconfiguring animals in food systems: an agenda for research by Lewis Holloway / The
fourth agricultural revolution: technological developments in primary food production by David ChristianRose, Mondira Bhattacharya, Auvikki de Boon, Ram Kiran Dhulipala, Catherine Price and Juliette Schillings
Week 10-11 (June 19): Of fake meat and an anxious Anthropocene: towards a cultural political economy ofalternative proteins and their implications for future food systems by Alexandra E. Sexton and Michael K.
Goodman / Urban food systems: the case for municipal action by Jess Halliday
Week 12-13 (July 3): Circular food systems: a blueprint for regenerative innovations in a regional UK context
by Steffen Boehm, Rebecca Sandover, Stefano Pascucci, Laura Colombo, Sophie Jackson and Matt Lobley /Design at the end of the food system: hybrid foodscapes in the realm of consumption by Kata Fodor
Week 14-15 (July 17 *national holiday): Wrap-up discussion[Course requirements]
No prerequisite knowledge or skill required other than English language ability sufficient to interact actively
in class.
[Evaluation methods and policy]
Grading will be carried out on a basis of active class participation (70%) and assignment presentation/report(30%).
[Textbooks]
Colin L. Sage 『A Research Agenda for Food Systems』（Edward Elgar, 2022）ISBN:978 1 80088 025 2
Reading materials will be made available in advance through the course mailing list and/or a cloud system (e.
g. Google Drive).
[References, etc.]（Reference books）
Recommended reading materials will be made available in advance as well as in class through the course
mailing list and/or a cloud system (e.g. Google Drive).
[Study outside of class (preparation and review)]
Students are required to read assigned book chapters for each class as well as other relevant reading materials
so that they will be able to actively participate in discussions.
（Other information (office hours, etc.)）
Please note that this course is designed for research masters and PhD students of the Graduate School ofContinue to International Agribusiness Studies (3)↓↓↓

International Agribusiness Studies (3)Economics, including those of East Asia Sustainable Economic Development Studies Course. Therefore, thestyle and structure of the classes could be different from those offered at the Business School.
The schedule of the classes is not yet fixed. Basically, the classes are offered on alternate Mondays, from 13:
30 to 16:30.
*Please visit KULASIS to find out about office hours.