ANSC 2550

Agriculture and Food Systems Production

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

This 7-week fall course prepares students for a faculty-led winter study trip to explore agricultural production and food systems in the U.S. and globally, depending on the year and topic. Students will spend the class sessions gaining familiarity with food production, food distribution, labor, and environmental challenges in the region or country of interest using readings, lectures, and in-class discussions. Upon completion of the fall course, students will then enroll in 1.5 practicum hours of winter session credits, where they travel to meet with producers, industry leaders, agricultural businesses, lenders, and policy makers who are invested in food production and marketing, as well as any other agricultural practice (e.g. forestry, land management, conservation).

Enrollment Priority Enrollment preference given to: first-year, sophomore and transfer students in Animal Science/Dairy Management.

Fees Course fee, $1780. Fee amount approximate, $1420.00 or $1,780.00, depending on meal choice.

Exploratory Studies (CU-ITL)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2024FA, 2022FA, 2019FA, 2017FA

Learning Outcomes

• Describe and critically evaluate the current state of food production in the region of interest.
• Critically evaluate the scope and scale of the food system in the region of interest.
• Describe the impact of government support for agricultural development in the region and compare that with the policy in the Northeastern United States.
• Critically evaluate how environmental regulations might differ in the region of interest from those in the Northeastern United States.

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