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2014/2015  KAN-CCMVI2020U  Food for thought: Food security and entrepreneurship

English Title
Food for thought: Food security and entrepreneurship

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration Summer
Course period Summer
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Course instructor - Dr. Patricia Plackett, Copenhagen Business School
    Patricia Plackett - MPP
Main academic disciplines
  • Business Ethics, value based management and CSR
  • Innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Management
  • Corporate and Business Strategy
Last updated on 20-02-2014
Learning objectives
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
  • Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of key concepts and theoretical perspectives related to food security and entrepreneurship presented in the course as well as the UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education.
  • Demonstrate a strong comprehension of methods used to innovate new products and services related to enhanced food security in developed, emerging and ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ economies.
  • Explain methods that can be used to identify, evaluate, and exploit entrepreneurship opportunities associated with food security in diverse global contexts.
  • Describe instructive examples of changing behavior in order to enhance food security in different geopolitical contexts.
  • Outline key considerations in designing implementation strategies for initiatives to improve global food security taking the local context into account.
Course prerequisites
No formal academic prerequisites, but a strong interest in sustainability issues and specifically food security would be highly advantageous.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Number of mandatory activities: 1
Compulsory assignments (assessed approved/not approved)
Mandatory Mid-term Assignment: Students will work in groups to develop a solution for a problem related to food security and the role of innovation in a developed economy and lead a short class discussion on the challenges that they encountered (Class 5).
Examination
Home Assignment:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer Term
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content and structure

Global food security is expected to remain a formidable challenge for at least the next 50 years. Efforts to make progress toward addressing this highly complex and highly diverse issue will require changes in a number of respects, including changes to investment and also policy. This course will explore the potential contribution of entrepreneurs with their capacity to advance market-based solutions – developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem for co-creating solutions that could address the three interrelated pillars of the food security problem – availability, affordability and usability in terms of quality and safety.
 
This course has been specifically designed to take into account the UN Principles for Responsible Management (PRME) agreement, an agreement to which CBS is a signatory. It has been designed to provide a comprehensive overview of this major global issue through the use of three highly diverse cases:
 
 

  1. A developed economy Denmark, ranked #3 on the Global Food Security Index 2013: an examination of the Nordic Food Lab’s experimentation aimed at investigating local raw materials and ways of enhancing their deliciousness, reconciling biochemistry and gastronomy to reflect Nordic identity.
  2. An emerging economy – Indonesia, a ‘MINT’ economy along with Mexico, Nigeria and Turkey forecast to be the next economic powerhouses: an examination of policy and its impact on small-scale farmers producing food staples, rice in particular.
  3. A ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ economy – Kenya, where 65% of the population is living below the poverty line: an examination of social entrepreneurship opportunities created through use of wastes from coffee and other agricultural crops.

Also integrated into the course design is an opportunity to examine considerations related to CBS’s three strategic platforms – sustainability, public-private partnerships and competitiveness.
 
For the Preliminary Assignment students will work in groups in Class 3 to develop a solution for a problem related to global trends in food security and lead a short class discussion on their approach to finding a solution quickly in a group situation. For the Mandatory Mid-term Assignment students will work in groups in Class 5 to develop a solution to a problem related to food security and the role of innovation in a developed economy and lead a short class discussion on the challenges that they encountered.
 
Class Schedule
 

Class Topic
Class 1 Course overview – Food security challenges and entrepreneurship opportunities
Class 2 Food security measurement issues – the Global Food Security Index
Class 3 Preliminary Assignment – a student group exercise with solution discussion
Class 4 Problem-solving related to the Denmark case – innovation issues
Class 5 Mid-term Assignment – a student group exercise with solution discussion
Class 6 Problem-solving related to the Denmark case – sustainability considerations
Class 7 Problem-solving related to the Indonesia case – policy issues
Class 8 Problem-solving related to the Indonesia case – public-private partnership considerations
Class 9 Problem-solving related to the Kenya case – social entrepreneurship issues
Class 10 Problem-solving related to the Kenya case – competitiveness considerations
Class 11 Comprehensive Review – capturing the learnings and reflecting on the UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education
Teaching methods
All lectures will be replaced by alternative pedagogies to allow for more open-ended problem-solving in class. Required readings and preparatory work will be covered by online interactive materials in this inverted classroom approach.

Adventure learning – a form of experiential learning in which individuals test themselves on real-world problems in a highly supportive setting – will facilitate the inclusion of multiple perspectives in class group problem-solving, including collaboration between students and practitioners and use of multi-media inputs.

The aim of these approaches is to create a collaborative learning environment in which students can gain practical insights about designing and implementing strategies for overcoming food security challenges under diverse economic, political and social circumstances.
Further Information
Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings or video clips to be read or viewed before the start of classes with a related task scheduled for class 3 in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.
Expected literature

Bingham, Christopher B. and Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. (2011), Rational heuristics: The ‘simple rules’ that strategists learn from process experience,” Strategic Management Journal, Vol.32, No.13, pp. 1437–1464.
 
Cheng, Beiting, Ioannou, Ioannis and Serafeim, George (2014), Corporate social responsibility and access to finance,” Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp.1–23.
 
Clapp, Jennifer (2006), “WTO agriculture negotiations: Implications for the Global South”, Third World Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 563-577.
 
Ejeta, Gebisa (2009), “Revitalizing agricultural research for global food security,” Food Security, Vol. 1, pp. 391-401.
 
Falcon, Walter and Naylor, Rosamond (2005), “Rethinking food security for the 21st Century,” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 87, pp.1113-27.
 
FAO (2010), Growing greener cities. Rome: FAO.
 
FAO (2012), The state of food insecurity in the world: Economic growth is necessary but not sufficient to accelerate reduction of hunger and malnutrition. Rome: FAO.
 
Jeong, Yujin and Weiner, Robert J. (2012), “Who bribes? Evidence from the United Nations' oil-for-food program,”Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 33, No. 12, pp.1363–1383.
 
Julian, S. and Ofori-dankwa, J. (2013), “Financial resource availability and corporate social responsibility expenditures in a sub-Saharan economy: The institutional difference hypothesis,” Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 34, No. 11, pp. 1314-1330.
 
Lal, R. (2004), “Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security,” Science, Vol. 304, No. 5677, pp. 1623-1627.
 
London, Ted, Anupindi, Ravi and Sheth, Sateen (2010),”Creating mutual value: Lessons learned from ventures serving base of the pyramid producers,” Journal of Business Research, Vol. 63, No. 6, pp. 582-594.
 
Lounsbury, Michael and Glynn,Mary Ann (2001), “Cultural entrepreneurship: stories, legitimacy, and the acquisition of resources,” Strategic Management Journal, Special Issue: Strategic Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Strategies for Wealth Creation, Vol. 22, No. 6-7, pp. 545–564.
 
Maxwell, Simon (1996), “Food security: A Post-Modern Perspective,” Food Policy, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 155-170.
 
Nidumolu, R., Prahalad, C.K. and Rangaswami, M.R. (2009), “Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 87, No. 9, pp. 57-64.
 
Porter, M. and M. Kramer (2011), “Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism – and unleash a wave of innovation and growth,” Harvard Business Review, January/February, pp. 63-77.
 
Robertson, G.P. and Swinton, S.M. (2005), “Reconciling agricultural productivity and environmental integrity: A grand challenge for agriculture,” Frontiers in Ecology, Vol. 3, pp. 38-46.
 
Rosegrant, Mark W. and Cline, Sarah A. (2003), “Global food security: Challenges and policies, Science, Vol. 302, No. 5652, pp. 1917-1919.
 
Sakarya, Sema, Bodur, Muzaffer, Yildirim-Öktem, Özlem and Selekler-Göksen, Nisan (2012), “Social alliances: Business and social enterprise collaboration for social transformation,” Journal of Business Research, Vol.65, No. 12, pp.1710-1720.
 
The Global Food Security Index http:/​/​foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/​
 
Thornton, Philip K. (2010), “Livestock production: Recent trends, future prospects,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 365, pp. 2853-2867.
 
Timmer, C. Peter (2000), “The macro dimensions of food security: Economic growth, equitable distribution, and food price stability,” Food Policy, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 283-295.
 
Tokarick, Stephen (2008), “Dispelling some misconceptions about agricultural trade liberalization,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 22, No.1, pp.199-216.
 
Readings on the Denmark case:
 
Byrkjeflot, Haldor, Strandgaard, Jesper and Svejenova, Silviya (2013), From label to practice: The process of creating New Nordic Cuisine, Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 36-55.
 
Evans, Josh (2012), "Non-Trivial Pursuit - New approaches to Nordic deliciousness," Anthropology of Food, S7 2012.
 
Evans, Josh (2013), "Insect gastronomy," Cereal Magazine, Vol. 3, UK: Taylor Brothers.
 
Evans, Josh (2013), "Cereal killing," Wolf Magazine, Vol. 2, 10 June 2013.
 
Hermansen, Mark Emil Tholstrup (2012), “Creating terroir: An anthropological perspective on new Nordic cuisine as an expression of Nordic identity,” Anthropology of Food, S7 2012.
 
Mouritsen, Ole G., Williams, Lars, Bjerregaard, Rasmus and Duelund, Lars (2012), “Seaweeds for umami flavour in the New Nordic Cuisine,” Flavour Journal, Vol. 1, No. 4, 21 March 2012.
 
Risbo, Jens, Mouritsen, Ole G., Frøst, M0íchael B. and Reade, Ben (2013), "Culinary science in Denmark: Molecular gastronomy and beyond," Journal of Culinary Science and Technology, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 111-30.
 
Readings on the Indonesia case:
 
Belsky, Jill M. and Siebert, Stephen F. (2003), “Cultivating cacao Implications of sun-grown cacao on local food security and environmental sustainability,” Agriculture and Human Values, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 277-285.
 
Dillon, H.S. (2004), “Food security in Indonesia,” The 6th Asian Development Research Forum General Meeting - Food Security in Asian Countries in the Context of the Millennium Goals, Bangkok, Thailand, 14p.
 
Lovendal, Christian Romer and Knowles, Marco (2006), “Tomorrow's hunger: A framework for analysing vulnerability to food security,” Research Paper, UNU-WIDER, United Nations University (UNU), No. 2006/119.
 
Mittal, Anuradha (2009), “The 2008 food price crisis: Rethinking food security policies, G-24 Discussion Paper Series No. 56, New York & Geneva: UN Conference on Trade and Development.
 
Thrupp, Lori Ann (2000), “Linking agricultural biodiversity and food security: The valuable role of agrobiodiversity for sustainable agriculture,”International Affairs, Vol.76, No. 2, pp. 283–297.
 
Warr, Peter G., (2011), “Food security vs. food self-sufficiency: The Indonesian Case,” Crawford School Research Paper No. 2011/04.
 
Readings on the Kenya case:
 
Gathuo, B., Rantala, P. and Määttä, R. (1991), “Coffee industry wastes,” Water Science & Technology, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 53–60.
 
Gregory, P.J. , Ingram, J.S. and Brklacich, M. (2005), “Climate change and food security,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, Vol. 360, pp. 2139-2148.
 
Hyder, A.A., Maman, S., Nyoni, J.E., Khasiani, S.A., Teoh, N., Premji, Z., and Sohani, S. (2005), “The pervasive triad of food security, gender inequity and women's health: exploratory research from sub-Saharan Africa,” African Health Sciences, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 328-334.
 
Khavul, Susanna, Bruton, Garry D. and Wood, Eric (2009), “Informal family business in Africa,” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 1219-1238.
 
Kivaisi, Amelia Kajumulo, Assefa, Berhanu, Hashim, Suhaila Omar and Mshandete, Anthony Manoni (2010),”Sustainable utilization of agro-industrial wastes through integration of bio-energy and mushroom production,” International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
 
Njenga, Mary, Romney, Dannie, Karanja, Nancy, Gachuru, Kurin, Kimani, Stephen, Carson, Sammy and Frost, Will (2010), “Recycling nutrients from organic wastes in Kenya’s capital city, Chapter 10, pp. 193-212 In Prain, Gordon, Karanja, Nancy and Lee-Smith, Diana (Eds.) African urban harvest: Agriculture in the cities of Cameroon, Kenya and Uganda, Springer.
 
Plyler, Megan, Haas, Sherry and Nagarajan, Geetha (2010), “Community level economic effects of M-PESA in Kenya: Initial findings,” The Financial Services Assessment Project, IRIS Center, University of Maryland College Park, 4p.
 
Van der Vossen, H.A.M. (2005),”A critical analysis of the agronomic and economic sustainability of organized coffee production,” Experimental Agriculture,Vol. 41, pp. 449-473.
 

Last updated on 20-02-2014