| Description |
Preservation of biodiversity has sparked considerable economic interest over the last two decades, but remains a relatively unexplored field. One aspect that has seen the most obvious consequences is agricultural production, where globalization has led to a focus on monoculture, i.e., the agricultural practise of producing or growing a single crop, plant, or livestock species. Today, while there are more than 6,000 plant species that could be cultivated for food production, fewer than 200 actually contribute significantly to food production globally, regionally, or nationally. Moreover, within these species concentration is generally on one or two main genetic types. Importantly, such continuous monoculture, has led to quicker build-up and spread of pests and crop diseases, and these can have devastating impacts on crop production and food security across the world. As a matter of fact, history is abundant of cases where important crops have been fundamentally threatened due to such disease and pest outbreaks. Today it is believed that between 20 and 40 per cent of global crop yields are reduced each year due to damage caused by plant insects and diseases. Alarmingly, under climate change the occurrence of such outbreaks is likely to increase, or at least substantially alter, with the likely rise of temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns in many parts of the world. This seminar will entail studying cases of agricultural disease outbreaks, with a particular emphasis on the economics decisions leading to the outbreak, the role of climate, and the economic impact of the event.
Students will form groups of 2-4 persons and will choose a historical outbreak event (alternatively, an event will be provided). The goal is to gain a thorough understanding of the event in terms of:
1. Nature of the agricultural product/crop and its susceptibility to diseases
2. Economic factors that played a role in the outbreak
3. Role of climate in the outbreak
4. Economic consequences
The course is limited to 12 participants - first-come-first-served - please register in KSL (open from 15.07.-10.09.2024)
initial meeting: 19.09.2024, 09.15-10.00 hrs, A222, UniS |
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Öffentlicher Bereich
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