Syllabus

LV0115 Food Ethics, 7.5 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Modules

Advanced study in the main field

Grading scale

Language

Prior knowledge

Objectives

The aim of the course is that students, independent of previous competence, improve their ethical skills, both in a general sense and in relation to food issues. After completion of the course, the student shall be able to identify ethical issues in the food chain, to reflect upon them from different perspectives, and to show acquaintance with how to use standard normative ethical theories in ethical analysis of the food chain. Further, the aim of the course is to create opportunities for practicing ethical argumentation and deliberation with peers, both verbally and while producing shorter texts, in order to be able to argue for a certain position in accordance with basic argumentations rules such as consistency, coherence and relevance.

After completion of the course the student should be able to:

• Identify ethical issues in the food chain, including those related to e.g. food security, food safety, feed efficiency, biotechnology, sustainable development, food from animal origin.

• Describe some standpoints from the history of food ethics.

• Describe and use a number of normative ethical theories (e.g. utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and contractarianism) on issues within food production, distribution and consumption.

• Reflect on the role of social context, culture, religion and ethical norms in decisions regarding food.

• Explain and reflect on the interaction between ethics and science in relation to food issues.

• Formulate an ethical standpoint on a concrete problem of food ethics, discuss it through a pro and contra analysis and argue for it.

Content

The content of the course is structured along the food chain – from production and distribution to consumption and waste. Ethically relevant aspects occurring along the food chain will be elaborated by use of the most common normative ethical theories to highlight ethical challenges and value clashes as for example between animal welfare and climate friendly production, or between biodiversity and economic efficiency, or consumer versus citizen interests. Students will further be asked to read food ethics literature to get a grip of the theoretical standpoints in order to learn detecting relevant ethical aspects and understand pro and contra arguments for different positions. Hence, ethical discernment is in focus, and students will practice ethical argumentation though active listening to one another’s opinions, formulate relevant questions and strive for a coherent line of argumentation in a certain issue. The structure of the course: Web lectures will be held to present the normative ethical theories and argumentation analysis. During on-line IRT-seminars on core themes in food ethics, some of which are chosen by the students, will be presented and discussed. These will be mandatory seminars for discussion of the different themes mentioned above, where active participation is required.

Grading form

Formats and requirements for examination

Active participation in seminars. Short written assignments. Essay questions to be responded to within a certain time frame and limited number of words, distributed at end of course.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Responsible department

Department of Molecular Sciences