AGEC 420/620

Food Security, Climate and Conflict

Spring 2023

Instructors Dr. Shahriar Kibriya

Associate Director, Conflict and Development
Research Assistant Professor
Office: 408H Agriculture and Life Sciences Building (AGLS)
shahriar@tamu.edu
Phone: 979-204-7890

Dr. Edwin C. Price

Professor and Howard G. Buffet Foundation Chair on Conflict and
Development
Office: 408G Agriculture and Life Sciences Building (AGLS)
Phone: 979-450-0751
E-mail: ec-price@tamu.edu

Teaching Assistant Tong Xiao, xiaotong123@tamu.edu:

Students should check their email and Canvas for course

announcements and all lectures.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:20-3:35 p.m.

Office Hours: By appointment or Tuesdays 1.20-2.20 pm

E-mail: shahriar@tamu.edu
ec-price@tamu.edu

Class Location: AGLS 116

Students should check their email and Canvas for course
announcements and all lectures.

Class Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:20-3:35 p.m.

Prerequisites: None

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Description

Students will learn rapidly accumulating evidence of the interaction of food security, conflict,
and climate. This course will benefit students to understand the economic models of food
production and consumption in conflict regimes. Various topics will be microeconomics of
violence, the dynamic relationships of climate and agricultural production, potential impacts of
climate change on food and socio-political security, food security among insurgent groups,
conflict resistant food systems, and the shifting relationships between poor and rich nations
concerning climate, food, and conflict. The course will be team-taught under a lead instructor.

Each student in the class seeks to achieve these objectives:

1. Gain an understanding on the dynamics of food production, demand and consumption

in conflict-prone developing nations around the world focusing particularly on
agricultural technology, growth and policies; usage of natural and human resources;
conflict resistant agricultural practices and shifting relationships of climate and
agriculture.

2. Develop an understanding of the factors associated with food security and conflict in
neo-classical economics. Comprehend the magnitude, geographical distribution and
scope of food (in)security, malnutrition, famine, climate, and agricultural production.

3. Understand how climate affects the socio-economic growth of a region, changes of the
geopolitical sphere, and shapes of agricultural production.

4. Learn the tools of economic analysis to understand the underlying causal linkages of
food security, conflict and climate. Obtain a theoretical and empirical understanding of
the essential relationships of economic growth, social balance, and shock resiliency
with food security and the environment.

5. Understand coping strategies and behaviors of individual rural households and rebel
groups living in conflict-prone societies under extreme conditions of hunger and
weather variability.

6. Expose students to the qualitative and quantitative methods used to develop and test
theories related to food security, climate, and violence that will enable them to assess
the impacts of alternative policy outcomes on conflict and conflict resolution.

7. Provide students with tools applicable in assessing programs to minimize violence and
enhance food security, mitigate the impact of climate on conflict-prone vulnerable
groups, contribute to conflict prevention programs, and the promotion of economic
development.

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 Americans with Disabilities Act Statement

“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that
provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other
things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning
environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. Texas A&M
University has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In
that spirit, admission to Texas A&M University and any of its sponsored programs is open to
all qualified individuals without regard to subgroup, class or stereotype.”

“Disability Services offers accommodations counseling, evaluation referral, disability-

related information, adaptive technology services, sign language interpreting and
transcription services for academically related purposes. Although Disability Services does
not offer disability evaluation and testing, tutoring, personal expenses, attendants or
scholarships, Disability Services will provide resources and referral information.”
If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact Department of
Disability Services 701 West Campus Blvd, MS 1224. The phone number is 845-1673, and
the email address is disability@tamu.edu -- the law will make ADA accommodations.

The Aggie Honor Code

“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”

Grading and Course Expectations

The course comprises seven bi-weekly blocks of learning activity. Each learning activity
includes five parts: (1) 2-5 assigned readings per two-week block; (2) four 1 hour 15 minutes
lectures per block; (3) discussions relevant to the assigned readings and lectures of each block;
(4) 4 minimum 350-word write-up for undergraduate students (700-word write-up for graduate
students) on a choice of topics based on readings, lectures, or special assignments or events;
and (5) two exams. Students can choose 4 blocks to submit their write ups with each worth
7.5% of their final grade.

Final grades will be based on:

Activities Percentages
Write-ups 30%
Exam 1 30%
Exam 2 30%
Participation 10%

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Letter grades will be assigned using this scale:

90 percent or above A
80 percent to 89.9 percent B
70 percent to 79.9 percent C
50 percent to 69.9 percent D
Below 50 percent F

Attendance/Absences

Makeup exams and assignments will be given to students with absences considered excused
under TAMU Student Rule 7 (Attendance) at http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07. For absences
related to injury or illness, also see http://attendance.tamu.edu/.

Students will be invited for face-to-face discussions and special events on a non-credit basis.
Substantial thought and innovative contribution will be expected for all students.

Course Schedule

Block 1: Agricultural growth, technology, and development: Economic concepts of food

production, consumption, and supply (Jan. 17- Jan. 26)
Block 1 Write-up Due: Jan. 30 @ 11:59 p.m.

Block 2: Concept and geography of food security, coping strategies, malnutrition, and
related conflict (Jan. 31- Feb. 9)
Block 2 Write-up Due: Feb. 12 @ 11:59 p.m.

Block 3: Causes and consequences of food security and conflict in the modern geopolitical
sphere: availability, access, utilization, and stability (Feb. 14- Feb. 23)
Block 3 Write-up Due: Feb. 26 @ 11:59 p.m.

Block 4: Climate, food security and conflict around the globe (Feb 28-Mar. 9)
Block 4 Write-up Due: Mar. 14 @ 11:59 p.m.

Mid-term Exam Covering Blocks 1-4

Block 5: Global climate: Economics, Science and Policy (Mar. 21 – Mar. 30)
Block 5 Write-up Due: Apr. 2 @ 11:59 p.m.

Block 6: Global institutions, policy, and programs to enhance factors associated with climate
(Apr 4 – Apr. 13)
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 Block 6 Write-up Due: Apr. 15 @ 11:59 p.m.

Block 7: Economics of climate and conflict resilient food production and marketing
(Apr. 18– Apr. 27)
Block 7 Write-up Due: Apr. 30 @ 11:59 p.m.

Readings will be assigned mainly from the list below but will be specified by block rather than
by week. The list below may be revised. Readings will be assigned at least one week before
each block is begun.

Reading List

Block Topic Lectures and Readings

1 Agricultural Lecture Materials and Slides
growth,
technology, and All Students Read
development:
Economic Ruttan, Vernon W. "Productivity growth in world agriculture:
concepts of food sources and constraints." Journal of Economic Perspectives
production, (2002): 161-184.
consumption,
and supply Ruttan, Vernon W. "Growth Stage Theories and Agricultural
Development Policy*." Australian Journal of Agricultural
Economics 9.1 (1965): 17-32.

Sen, Amartya. "The concept of development." Handbook of

development economics 1 (1988): 9-26.

Dorward, Andrew, et al. "A policy agenda for pro-poor

agricultural growth." World Development 32.1 (2004): 73-89.

2 Concept and Lecture Materials and Slides

geography of
food security, Word Document, “Lecture Note Block 2”
coping “An Introduction to Basic concepts of Food Security”
strategies, by FAO. www.foodsec.org/docs/concepts_guide.pdf
malnutrition,
All Students Read

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 and related Maxwell, Simon, and Marisol Smith. "Household food
conflict security: a conceptual review." Household Food Security:
concepts, indicators, measurements. Edited by S. Maxwell
and T. Frankenberger. Rome and New York: IFAD and
UNICEF (1992).

Maxwell, Daniel, et al. "Alternative food-security indicators:

revisiting the frequency and severity of coping strategies'."
Food Policy 24.4 (1999): 411-429.

Godfray, H. Charles J., et al. "Food security: the challenge of

feeding 9 billion people." science 327.5967 (2010): 812-818.

Optional Reading

Smith, Marisol, Judy Pointing, and Simon Maxwell. Household

food security: concepts and definitions: An annotated
bibliography. Vol. 8. Institute of Development Studies, 1993

3 Causes and Lecture Materials and Slides

consequences of
food security, All Students Read
and conflict in
the modern Messer, Ellen, Marc J. Cohen, and Thomas Marchione.
geopolitical "Conflict: A Cause and Effect of Hunger." Special Reports
sphere: (2001): 1.
availability,
access, “Bora, Saswati; Ceccacci, Iride; Delgado, Christopher;
utilization, and Townsend, Robert. 2011. Food Security and Conflict. World
stability Bank, Washington, DC. Retrieved from
https://www.openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/9107

Cohen, Marc J., and Per Pinstrup-Andersen. "Food security and

conflict." Social Research (1999): 375-416.

Additional Readings

TBD

4 Climate, food Lecture Materials and Slides

security, and
conflict around Word Document, “Climate change and conflict”
the globe
All Students Read

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 Barnett, Jon, and W. Neil Adger. "Climate change, human
security, and violent conflict." Political Geography 26.6
(2007): 639-655.

Hendrix, Cullen S., and Idean Salehyan. "Climate change,

rainfall, and social conflict in Africa." Journal of peace
research 49.1 (2012): 35-50.

Simmons, Emmy. "Harvesting Peace: Food security, conflict,

and cooperation." Environmental Change and Security
Program Report 14.3 (2013): 0_2.

Grad Students ONLY

Dell M, Jones B, Olken B. What Do We Learn from the

Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature. Journal of
Economic Literature. 2014.

5 Global climate: Lecture Materials and Slides

Economics,
Science and All Students Read
Policy
Hsiang, Solomon M., Marshall Burke, and Edward Miguel.
"Quantifying the influence of climate on human conflict."
Science 341.6151 (2013): 1235367.

Scheffran, Jürgen, et al. "Climate change, and violent

conflict." Science (Washington, D.C.) 336.6083 (2012): 869-
871.

Homer-Dixon, Thomas F., Jeffrey H. Boutwell, and George W.

Rathjens. "Environmental change and violent conflict."
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN-AMERICAN EDITION- 268 (1993):
38-38.

6 Global Lecture Materials and Slides

institutions,
policy, and All Students Read
programs to
enhance factors Lobell, David B., et al. "Prioritizing climate change adaptation
associated with needs for food security in 2030." Science 319.5863 (2008):
climate 607-610.

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 Ayers, Jessica M., and Saleemul Huq. "Supporting adaptation
to climate change: what role for official development
assistance?" Development Policy Review 27.6 (2009): 675-
692.

Pingali, Prabhu, Luca Alinovi, and Jacky Sutton. "Food

security in complex emergencies: enhancing food system
resilience." Disasters 29.s1 (2005): S5-S24.

7 Economics of Lecture Materials and Slides

climate and
conflict resilient All Students Read
food production
and marketing Climate-resilient development: A framework for
understanding and addressing climate change. USAID 2014.
https://www.usaid.gov/climate/climate-resilient-development-
framework

Howden, S. Mark, et al. "Adapting agriculture to climate

change." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
104.50 (2007): 19691-19696.

Louis Bockel. “Climate change and agricultural policies: How

to mainstream climate change adaptation and
mitigation into agriculture policies.” Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) (2009).

Meridian Institute, “Policy brief: Agriculture and

climate change.”

Class Sessions: Class sessions will focus on the topics for each of the seven blocks of the course
as identified in the reading list chart above. Discussions will cover current events involving conflict,
topics suggested by students, readings and questions posed by the teacher. Students keep up with
the readings on their own. It is very important that students check their email for weekly lectures,
assignments, and announcements. Students are welcome to email the instructor with questions with
the line “AGEC 420/620.”

NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change throughout the semester. Please check your emails for
updates.

Personal Illness and Quarantine

Students required to quarantine must participate in courses and course-related activities remotely
and must not attend face-to-face course activities. Students should notify their instructors of the
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quarantine requirement. Students under quarantine are expected to participate in courses and
complete graded work unless they have symptoms that are too severe to participate in course
activities. Students experiencing personal injury or Illness that is too severe for the student to
attend class qualify for an excused absence (See Student Rule 7, Section 7.2.2.) To receive an
excused absence, student must comply with the documentation and notification guidelines
outlined in Student Rule 7. While Student Rule 7, Section 7.3.2.1, indicates a medical
confirmation note from the student’s medical provider is preferred, for Fall 2020 only, students
may use the Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class form in lieu of a medical
confirmation. Students must submit the Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class within
three business days after the last date of absence.

For additional information, please review the FAQ on Spring 2023 courses at Texas A&M
University.

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