Brett Melone

As informed citizens of the world and as eaters, we hear about and grapple daily with the environmental, social and economic issues that agriculture creates and faces, and are often left perplexed and confused about what we can do. As policy makers, bureaucrats, business and nonprofit leaders, it is imperative that we bring an informed perspective on agricultural policy to the conversations we are part of.

Agriculture depends on a healthy natural resource base and farmers that are positioned with the knowledge and resources to be good stewards. Agriculture both contributes to climate change, and also has the potential to help mitigate and adapt to a warmer climate. By nature, agriculture is interdisciplinary and demands that we work across sectors and political divides to chart its future. Beyond agronomy, water, soil and pest management, and land use planning, we need to consider the roles of technology, immigration, trade policy, public health, housing, economic development, energy, and the list goes on, in agricultural policy.

Have you wondered what the Farm Bill is? How SDGs are relevant to agriculture? What about which crops we should stop growing, and which crops we should grow more of? Is animal agriculture good, bad or it depends? How can agricultural policy influence what happens in the private sector? Which countries have model agricultural policies that other countries should consider adopting?

Through readings, multimedia content, lectures, case studies, guest speakers, field trips, rigorous policy analysis and frequent student presentations, this course will provide students with answers to the above questions, and a foundational understanding of agricultural policies at the local, regional, national and global levels, including the science and politics behind those policies. This course will increase your knowledge about which issues urgently need innovative solutions, which policies are working, which policies are failing, and what frameworks are available to assess policy effectiveness. We are privileged to be located near the “Salad Bowl of the World”. The Central Coast of California will be our learning laboratory and point of departure for many of the case studies and field trips we will see over the course of the semester.

The course will culminate in students developing policy proposals to address the world’s most pressing agricultural challenges.

Field trips: Field trips are one of the most valued aspects of this course based on past student feedback. The goal for this semester is to have four field trips, average one per month. While every effort will be made to schedule field trips on class days (Fridays), student flexibility to attend field trips that need to be scheduled on days other than Fridays will be appreciated. Students that do not have flexibility will be provided other options to replace scheduled field trips. Field trips will require carpooling by students and professor, and logistics will be worked out prior to each field trip. The first field trip will likely be to the World Ag Expo in Tulare on one of the following dates: February 11, 12 or 13 (Tues-Thurs).