NS 6480

Economics of Food and Malnutrition

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

This course focused on the economics of food and malnutrition from the perspective of individuals and households; that is, a micro-economic approach. Topics include characteristics and constraints associated with food production in both developed and developing countries; the determinants of household food security; the social and economic causes and consequences of undernutrition; the social and economic causes and consequences of obesity; intervention design to reduce food insecurity, undernutrition and obesity.

Prerequisites ECON 1110, AEM 2100, or equivalent, and 9 additional credits in economics, applied economics, or nutrition.

Enrollment Priority Enrollment limited to: graduate students. Recommended prerequisite: ECON 3140, NS 3600, or equivalents.

Distribution Requirements (SBA-HE)

Exploratory Studies (CU-ITL, CU-SBY)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025FA, 2024FA, 2023FA, 2022FA

Learning Outcomes

• Ability to analyze problems of food security and nutrition using perspectives and tools drawn from both economics and nutrition; critically assess studies of the determinants of these; understand the strengths and limitations of interventions designed to ameliorate these.
• Integrate knowledge from the biological and social sciences to address nutrition problems facing individuals, societies, and governments.
• Ability to understand and analyze quantitative data on food security and nutrition.
• Ability to access and critically evaluate scientific information from the primary research literature to investigate the causal effects of nutrition.
• Motivation to engage in debates surrounding the design and implementation of innovative solutions to current existing and future problems related to food, hunger, and nutrition.

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