Wk 01 — 01/19 - Course Introduction
| Statement |
Class Average ± Stdev. |
| 1.1. Agriculture in Developing Countries |
4.58 ± 2.36 |
| 1.2. Agriculture in general in Mexico |
3.11 ±1.29 |
| 1.3. U.S. – Mexico Agriculture relations |
4.41 ± 1.55 |
| 1.4. Structure and diversity of the Mexican Dairy industry |
2.42 ± 1.39 |
| 1.5. Structure and diversity of U.S Dairy Industry |
4.95 ± 2.59 |
| 1.6. Mexico, its people and its cultures |
5.05 ± 2.01 |
| 1.7. Issues related to poverty in Mexico |
4.74 ± 1.97 |
| 2.1. The increase in world population will create a worldwide food crisis in my lifetime |
6.84 ± 2.03 |
| 2.2. Livestock (dairy) agriculture is more environmentally friendly in Mexico (developing countries in general) than in Wisconsin (the U.S. in general) |
5.11 ±1.91 |
| 2.3. Illegal (Mexican) immigrants are taking away jobs from U.S. Citizens |
3.47 ± 2.09 |
| 2.4. Livestock (dairy) production should be promoted as a way to alleviate poverty and develop a strong rural economy in Mexico |
6.63 ± 1.61 |
| 2.5. Expanding agricultural (dairy) trade with Mexico is good for the U.S. |
6.58 ± 2.19 |
| 2.6. Expanding agricultural (dairy) trade with the U.S. is good for Mexico |
6.11 ± 2.13 |
| 2.7. To what degree do you think the Mexican and the U.S. Dairy industry will look more alike in the next 20 years? |
5.12 ± 1.32 |
Wk 02 — 01/26 - World Population, Migration, Food and Environment
| Statement |
Class Average ± Stdev. |
| 1.1a Having children is a way to provide for one's old age in developed countries |
5.06 ± 2.25 |
| 1.1b Having children is a way to provide for one's old age in developing countries |
8.18 ±1.81 |
| 1.2 High birth rates in poor countries may actually be essential to preserve standards of living in rich countries |
7.06 ± 1.20 |
| 1.3a The benefits of globalization of economies outweigh the drawbacks in developed countries |
6.41 ± 2.35 |
| 1.3b The benefits of globalization of economies outweigh the drawbacks in developing countries |
5.88 ± 2.50 |
| 1.4a Mode of production and marketing of food is environmentally friendly in developed countries |
5.29 ± 1.96 |
| 1.4b Mode of production and marketing of food is environmentally friendly in developing countries |
5.41 ± 2.24 |
Wk 03 — 02/02 - Environmental Impacts of Human Consumption and Populations
Week 3 - Activity 1: Critical Evaluation of Statements Made in the Readings
| Statement |
Class Average ± Stdev. |
| 1. “These assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases, and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy, and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world’s tropical rain forests.” |
5.71 ± 2.37 |
| 2. “But it [high grain diets] causes enough health problems that administration of antibiotics is routine, so much so that it can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten the usefulness of medicines that treat people.” |
4.82 ±2.32 |
| 3. “Those grain-fed animals, in turn, are contributing to health problems among the world’s wealthier citizens – heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes.” |
4.41 ± 2.37 |
| 4. “It’s likely that most of us would do just fine on around 30 grams of protein a day, virtually all of it from plant sources.” |
6.18 ± 2.94 |
| 5. “And would the world not be a better place were some of the grain we use to grow meat directed instead to feed our fellow human beings?” |
5.24 ± 2.93 |
| 6. What is your Consumption Factor: “There will be more terrorist attacks against us and Europe, and perhaps against Japan and Australia, as long as that factorial difference of 32 in consumption rates persists.” |
5.41 ± 2.50 |
| 7. Carnivore’s Dilemma: “In contrast to factory farming, well-managed, non-industrialized animal farming minimizes greenhouse gases and can even benefit the environment.” |
4.80 ± 2.37 |
Wk 04 — 02/09 - Changing Global Food Demands — "The Livestock Revolution"
Wk 02 — 01/26 - World Population, Migration, Food and Environment
Instruction: Assume you are an advisor to Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico and President Obama, and you have just finished reading the paper from Delgado. Drawing from the results and in particular the discussion of his research (page 8-10 of the paper), try to formulate a set of agricultural policies on which you would advise the Presidents.
- First, please read the questions and vote your "conscience" using the following scale (1-2=Not at all, 3-4=A little, 5-6=Somewhat, 7-8=A lot, 9-10=A great deal).
- Second, discuss each question with your classmates at your table and write your thoughts down.
- Third, revise (if you choose) your vote.
Results: The Table below presents the average of standard deviation (Stdev) of the 18 students who competed the activity:
| Statement |
Class Average ± Stdev. |
Min, Max |
| Initial - Presidente Calderon |
|
|
| 1. Would you use some of your budget to subsidize livestock production in Mexico? |
6.88 ± 1.13 |
5, 8 |
| 2. Would you impose trade barriers to slow down the importation of poultry and livestock products (Tyson chicken for example) in Mexico? |
5.5 ± 1.41 |
4, 8 |
| 3. To what degree do you want to make sure that your policies work towards alleviating poverty and hunger in Mexico? (see http://www.oportunidades.gob.mx/) |
8.75 ± 1.28 |
7, 10 |
| 4. As a president, should you be concerned about water and air pollution from livestock agriculture in Mexico? |
7.5 ± 1.6 |
5, 10 |
| 5. How critical should regulations related to animal food safety be in your overall agricultural policies? |
7.75 ± 1.28 |
6, 10 |
| 6. Would you increase funding for agricultural education and research for INIFAP (the Mexican equivalent of USDA) to take advantage of the Livestock Revolution? |
7.88 ± 1.96 |
5, 10 |
| |
|
|
| Initial - President Obama |
|
|
| 1. Would you provide funding for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) as a way to reinforce your export policy? |
5.57 ± 1.27 |
4, 8 |
| 2. To what degree do you want to make sure that your policies work towards alleviating poverty and hunger in the US? For example, should you expand the USDA food stamp program and/or support the U.S. Food Banks? |
6.29 ± 2.75 |
3, 10 |
| 3. As a president, should you be concerned about water and air pollution from the livestock agriculture destined to exportation? |
7.0 ± 1.63 |
5, 10 |
| 4. How critical should regulations related to animal food safety be in your overall livestock agricultural policy? |
8.0 ± 1.10 |
7, 10 |
| 5. Would you increase funding for agricultural education and research for USDA to take advantage of the Livestock Revolution? |
7.86 ± 1.57 |
5, 10 |
Wk 05 — 02/16 - Livestock Around the World: Livestock Revolution "at the ground level"
Wk 06 — 02/23 - The Global Trade Game
Wk 09 — 03/23 - US - Mexico Trade: The Corn Stories
Wk 10 — 03/30 - Introduction to Immigration Issues
Wk 11 — 04/06 — Stories of Mexican Immigrant Workers on Dairy farms
Wk 12 — 04/13 - Mexico's Dairy Industry — U.S. Perspectives
Wk 13 — 04/20 - Mexico's Dairy Industry — Dairy as an Opportunity for Small-holders
Wk 14 — 04/27 - Mexico's Dairy Industry — Trends, Challenges and Sustainability
Wk 15 — 05/04 - Last Day of Class Review and Wrap-Up
