Contemporary Issues in International Nutrition

In this course, the students will learn about several major issues in international nutrition that impact health, survival, and development capacity of societies. The topics will include household food security, child malnutrition and growth retardation, micronutrient deficiencies, and the nutrition transition. To better understand the socio-economic and political root causes of the nutritional problems, we will look at the impact of rural and urban population growth, agriculture and globalization on the nutrition of individuals, households, communities and nations. In addition we will look at the social and economic situation of women in relation to food and nutrition. The students will be required to complete reading and writing assignments as well as an independent final research project.