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World Food System
Welternährungssystem (World Food System)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:00:33
Abstract
Knowledge about the World Food System will be provided, based on case studies along food value chains in countries with various development stages and dependent on multiple boundary conditions. This shall generate profound understanding of the associated global challenges especially food scarcity, suboptimal diet and nutrition, food quality and safety as well as effects on the environment.
Objective
Attending this course, the students will recognize the elements of the World Food System (WFS) approach and the problems it this supposed to treat. They will especially comprehend the four pillars of global food security, namely (I) food availability (including sustainable production and processing), (I) access to food (physical and monetary), (III) food use (including quality and safety as well as the impact on human health and well being) and (IV) resilience to the boundary conditions (environmental, economic and political). This insight will make them aware of the global driving forces behind our ETH research on food security and is expected to alleviate motivation and understanding for the association of subsequent specific courses within a general context. The course equivalently implements agricultural and food sciences, thus supporting the interdisciplinary view on the WFS scope.
Content
Case studies on certain foods of plant and animal origin serve to demonstrate the entire food value chain from the production of raw material to processed food and its consumer relevant property functions. In doing so, important corresponding aspects for developed, emerging and developing countries are demonstrated, by use of engineering as well as natural and social science approaches.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Handouts and links are provided online.
Literature
Information on books and other literature references is communicated during the course.
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- BSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- session examination
- Mode
- written 120 minutes
- Aids
- Open books; keine Lehrbücher oder Ähnliches;Elektronischer Zugriff auf Vorlesungs-Skripte (nur Prüfungs-Desktop)eigene Zusammenfassungen und annotierte Ausdrucke sind erlaubt
- Digital
- The exam takes place on devices provided by ETH Zurich.
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Welternährungssystem (World Food System) |
|
4 h weekly |