Courses
The Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Program (SAFS) offers several core courses. These are supported by a wide range of courses offered by associated departments and programs. Please consult the University Calendar for detailed information regarding degree and course requirements, and the academic timetable, available through myTrent, for information on the times and locations of our courses.
The following courses are offered by or cross-listed with SAFS, and are required or recommended for students pursuing the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems B.A. or B.Sc. degrees.
SAFS 2001H – Introduction to sustainable agriculture and food systems
An interdisciplinary survey of the scientific, political, social and cultural aspects of agriculture and food. Topics examined include agricultural sustainability, local food, food security, urban agriculture, and urban/rural relations. Emphasis is on Canadian issues and perspectives.
SAFS-ERSC 2002H – Environmental implications of agriculture
An introductory survey of scientific perspectives on the environmental implications of agriculture. Topics include agricultural biodiversity, soil and moisture management, nutrient management, pesticides, energy consumption in the agricultural sector, and the impact of ambient environmental conditions, including air pollution, on agriculture.
SAFS-IDST-ANTH 2500H – The world food system
An interdisciplinary and comparative analysis of the impact of transformations in the world food system on contemporary agrarian societies.
SAFS-IDST-ANTH 2600H – Peasants, food and agrarian change
An examination of the impact of processes of commodification, market integration and globalization on the social organization of food-producing rural communities in developing countries
SAFS-ERST-CAST 3340H – The Canadian food system: A community development approach
The history of Canada’s food and agricultural system is the backdrop to this interdisciplinary course on community development of the system’s social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the system. Production, distribution, processing, consumption and regulatory issues are addressed. Community-based research projects are undertaken with local food and agricultural organizations.
SAFS-ERSC 3350H – Ecological agriculture
An exploration of the history and scientific basis of agriculture in southern Ontario, and the ecological underpinnings of farming. Nutrient cycling, crop rotation, integrated pest management and tillage practices are discussed. Traditional, conventional and intense systems are considered in the context of sustainability. Farm visits are included.
SAFS-ERSC 3360H – Agriculture and agricultural alternatives
The course focuses on the origins and domestication of crops and livestock, and on the increasingly narrow genetic resources available to modern production systems. Conventional, intensive and industrial farming systems will be considered, as well as alternatives such as organic framing, permaculture, and use of perennial crops. Farm visits are included.
SAFS-GEOG 3560H – Soil science
Soil is at the heart of terrestrial ecosystems. A sound understanding of soil science is necessary for physical geography, environmental science, engineering and agriculture. This course describes the mechanisms of soil formation and the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, as well as current issues in soil science.
SAFS-ERSC-GEOG 3650H – Soil management and conservation
Soils represent one of the most important natural resources from the point of view of sustainable agriculture and forestry, and protection of habitat. This course explores the scientific basis and management options for conservation of soil resources.
SAFS-ANTH 3820H – Culture and food
This course examines classic issues in the anthropology of food. We focus on etiquette of food consumption, food and sex, food and religion and morality, food exchange and preparation, vegetarianism and meat eating, and cannibalism.
SAFS 4001H – Seminar in sustainable agriculture and food systems science
SAFS 4002H – Seminar in sustainable agriculture and food systems studies
SAFS-ANTH 4440H – Nutritional anthropology
This course examines human dietary behaviour as a product of interactions among ecology, culture and biology. It focuses on basic nutritional and ecological principles, diet from evolutionary, comparative and historical perspectives, cultural factors influencing diet, food as medicine, and the impact of under-nutrition on human physiology and behaviour.
SAFS-ANTH-POST 4830H – Anthropology of food politics
This course explores moral and ethical dimensions of food production and circulation. The politics of excess and want, national cuisines, reactions to industrial and fast food (the Slow Food movement, culinary connoisseurship). Food distribution, from home to restaurants and fast food joints, is examined in the context of changing demands of work.
The following courses support the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems B.A. and B.Sc. degrees.
ANTH 1000Y – Introductory anthropology
ANTH 1010H – Biological anthropology and archaeology
ANTH 1020H – An introduction to sociocultural anthropology
ANTH 2000Y – Sociocultural anthropology
ANTH 2400Y – Biological anthropology
ANTH 4450H – Human adaptability
BIOL 1020H – Current issues in biology I
BIOL 2260H – Introductory ecology
BIOL 2290H – Plants in society
BIOL 3180H – Plants in action
BIOL 3380H – Advanced ecology
BIOL 4200H – Plant ecology
BIOL 4280H – Physiological ecology of plants
CAST-ERST-GEOG-INDG 2040Y – Canada: The land
ERSC 1000Y – Introduction to environmental science/studies
ERSC 1010H – Introduction to environmental science/studies: Global perspectives
ERSC 1020H – Introduction to environmental science/studies: Canadian perspectives
ERST-POST 2100H – Environmental science and politics
ERSC 2220H – Environmental assessment: Chemical and laboratory methods
ERSC 2230H – Environmental assessment: Sampling and analysis
ERSC 2240H – Ecological assessment for natural resource management
ERST-CAST 2520H – Natural resource management: Theory and comparative cases
ERST-CAST 2525H – Critical environmental thinking: Political economy and policy process
ERST-PHIL 3300Y – Environmental ethics
ERST-IDST-POST 3601Y – Environment and development
ERST 3780H – Canadian renewable resource economic and project planning
ERST 4610H – Global environmental policy
ERST 4810H – Ecological design
GEOG 1030H – Human geographies in global context
GEOG 1040H – Earth’s physical processes and environments
GEOG-ERSC-BIOL 2080H – Natural science statistics
GEOG-ERSC 2090H – Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
GEOG 2440H – Microclimatology
GEOG-ERST 2510H – Qualitative methods in geography and environmental studies
GEOG 2530H – Geography of water resources
GEOG 3530H – Hydrology
GEOG 3760H – The rural-urban fringe
IDST 1000Y – Human inequality in global perspective
INDG-ERST 2601Y – Introduction to Indigenous environmental studies
MATH 1050Y – A non-calculus-based introduction to probability and statistical methods
