Special Topics in Cultural Studies: Food Crisis and Farming for the Future

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—-Lingnan University Master of Cultural Studies Programme

Instructors: Mr. Chow Sze-chong, Ms. Jenny Li, Dr. Hui Shiu-lun and Dr. Lau Kin-chi

2013-14, term 1

Course description

This will be a 1.5-credit course in September-December 2013. Apart from classroom seminars, some students will take up farming practice in the field, or visits to local farms in Hong Kong.

The course will examine the threats to food production, food sovereignty and food security: climate change, nuclear disaster pollution, contamination of water and soil, reduction of farmland, monopoly by multinational agribusiness, and speculation of food prices in futures markets. Farming and agriculture in Hong Kong will be a case study, and students will learn about principles of permaculture, and examine Hong Kong’s development through the history of its agriculture.

Class schedule:

Part A:

Introduction

Food sovereignty – Hong Kong and global

Part B:

History of Hong Kong agriculture and social development

Principles of permaculture

The experience of Sangwoodgoon

Part C:

Climate change effects on agriculture

Nuclear and chemical contamination of soil and water

Readings:

Part A:

Patel, Raj (2008), Stuffed and Starved: Market Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System. New York: Melville House.

“Hong Kong: Export Guide 2013″, Global Agricultural Information Network, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Exporter%20Guide_Hong%20Kong_Hong%20Kong_4-30-2013.pdf

Part B:

Airriess, Christopher A. (2005), “Governmentality and power in politically contested space: refugee farming in Hong Kong’s New Territories, 1945 – 1970”, in Journal of Historical Geography 31 (2005) 763-83

林超英，〈香港農業：新時代的新角度〉，主場新聞

http://thehousenews.com/nature/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E8%BE%B2%E6%A5%AD%E6%96%B0%E6%99%82%E4%BB%A3%E7%9A%84%E6%96%B0%E8%A7%92%E5%BA%A6/

袁易天，〈農夫在七一遊行〉，主場新聞

http://thehousenews.com/society/%E8%BE%B2%E5%A4%AB%E5%9C%A8%E4%B8%83%E4%B8%80%E9%81%8A%E8%A1%8C/

《生活館稻米出生證明》，生活館

生活馆facebook http://www.facebook.com/sangwoodgoon?sk=wall&filter=2

袁易天（2009）：“菜園村的半農半X – 港府愚人自愚政策”，Inmedia. http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1002888

Holmgren, David (2002), Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustainability. Victoria: Holmgren Design Services

Pollen, Michael (2006), The Omnivore’s Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin

Katz, Sandor, (2006), The Revolution Will Not be Microwaved. New York: Chelsea Green

Part C:

Solnite, Rebecca (2012), “Revolutionary plots”, Orion Magazine.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6918

Hardt, Michael (2009), “Politics of the common”, ZNet.

http://www.zcommunications.org/politics-of-the-common-by-michael-hardt.html

Guattari, Felix (2000), “Translators’ introduction”, The Three Ecologies, London: Athlone, pp.1-20.

Maslin, Mark (2009): Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University.

陳弘美（2012），《日本311默示：瓦礫堆裏最寶貴的紀念》，臺北：麥田。

劉健芝等編（2013），《核危機資料集》，北京：和平婦女。