I have been the instructor of record for Hungry Planet: Geography of Crops since Spring 2023 for the Fall and Spring semesters.

I created all of the course materials, including lectures, assignments, assessments, and supporting resources, with the goal of building an engaging and interdisciplinary learning experience. The course examines global agricultural systems through a geographic perspective, encouraging students to think critically about how the geography of food production relates to environmental, political and social issues.

I have taught this course in both in-person and online formats, adapting my teaching strategies for each environment while maintaining consistent learning outcomes. In the classroom, I emphasize discussion-based learning, interactive activities, and real-world case studies to help students connect course concepts to contemporary global issues. In the online format, I incorporate a mix of elements, including recorded lectures, discussion boards, to encourage engagement with the course content.

A central component of the course is the development of practical geospatial skills. Through a sequence of five scaffolded mapping assignments, I teach students how to create and interpret maps using ArcGIS Pro and real-world agricultural datasets. These assignments guide students through foundational skills, such as data visualization and map design, allowing them to engage directly with the geographic patterns of crop production. By working with authentic data, students gain both technical proficiency and a deeper understanding of how spatial tools can be used to analyze global food systems.

Clarity, accessibility, and student engagement were prioritized across both modalities. I continuously refine course content based on student feedback and learning outcomes, ensuring that materials remain relevant and effective. My approach to teaching this course reflects a commitment to critical thinking, meeting the diverse needs of students, and helping students develop a deeper understanding of the geographic dimensions of global food systems.

Teaching Networks Activity

One activity I am particularly proud of — and would like to share — is the “Visualizing Agricultural Trade Networks” mapping assignment. In this project, students use trade data from the FAO alongside foundational mapping skills in ArcGIS Pro to create a map illustrating the trade connections of both a major exporter and importer for a crop of their choice.

The assignment is designed to help students move beyond abstract discussions of globalization by visually tracing the movement of crops across regions. It can also be used as an entry point for teaching students about social network analysis and network concepts such as centrality or communities.

Student reflections suggest that this activity meaningfully shifts how they understand global food systems. Many describe gaining a clearer sense of how crops circulate far beyond their places of origin and become embedded in distant food cultures. One student noted that mapping imports and exports helped them see how a crop could spread well beyond its native range and become part of diets around the world.

Students have also said that visual nature of the assignment deepened their awareness of the interconnected nature of food systems, and encouraged them to see agricultural production and trade as part of a complex global network shaped by social, economic, and environmental factors. Finally, some students stated in their reflections that the activity sparked a stronger interest in sustainable development, particularly issues of food access and environmental justice, while prompting more critical reflection on the origins of the food they consume and the inequalities embedded within global supply chains.

Activity Materials

Recommended Readings:

• D’odorico, P., Carr, J. A., Laio, F., Ridolfi, L., & Vandoni, S. (2014). Feeding humanity through global food trade. Earth’s future, 2(9), 458-469. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/2014EF000250?utm_source=consensus

• Fader, M., Gerten, D., Krause, M., Lucht, W., & Cramer, W. (2013). Spatial decoupling of agricultural production and consumption: quantifying dependences of countries on food imports due to domestic land and water constraints. Environmental research letters, 8(1), 014046. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014046/pdf

• Khoury, C.K., Achicanoy, H.A., Bjorkman, A.D., Navarro-Racines, C., Guarino, L., Flores-Palacios, X., Engels, J.M., Wiersema, J.H., Dempewolf, H., Sotelo, S. & Ramírez-Villegas, J., (2016). Origins of food crops connect countries worldwide. Proceedings of the royal society B: biological sciences, 283(1832), p.20160792. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/283/1832/20160792/78122

Trade Data for Top Importers and Exporters of Crop and Livestock Products: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/TCL

Detailed Trade Matrix Data: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/TM

Download Country Capitals csv file here

Full assignment file here

Examples of Student Work