Global Animal Health, Food Safety, and International Trade

Course Code: FSC 817

Credits: 3 credits

This course will provide students with an overview of rapidly changing global animal health patterns, food safety, and subsequent modifications in world trade. The interrelationship of animal agriculture with food industries, national infrastructure, disease diagnostics, animal and human pandemics, political systems, and global trade will be investigated during the semester.

We will utilize a multidisciplinary approach to explore the expanding and critical role that food safety, the environment, socioeconomic and cultural systems have assumed within the global agricultural marketplace. You will integrate many of the concepts of food law and regulations into animal health and subsequent global trade practices. Additionally, you will learn about necessary innovative tools and frameworks utilized to study and tackle many of these global food health challenges. Critical thinking concepts and communications skills will be enhanced by topic discussions, comparative trade analysis, weekly ‘Food Safety in the News’, and relevant readings. Global health challenges affecting food safety and security will be integrated into weekly topics. Students will gain working knowledge of trade regulations and policies affecting world economic stability.

Topics covered (subject to change):

Introduction to global livestock health policies
The new normal: food safety and the zoonotic pandemic of emerging infections
Understanding pandemics and food safety: ancient infectious diseases- where did they come from and why are they returning?
Shaping of global livestock health policy and trade: risk-based trade decisions
Components of effective livestock health infrastructure
International livestock health standards and standard setting organizations: WOAH, USDA, WTO, WHO, FAO, Codex
Understanding the World Organization for Animal Health: development and adoption of WOAH standards
Global trade and the World Bank – capacity building
Open borders affecting food safety and trade
Women’s role in livestock production and agricultural trade
Animal welfare role in accepting global animal trade
Antibiotic Resistance (ABR) in animals and humans: the implications for food safety and global trade
GMO’s affecting trade barriers internationally
Epidemiology and the public health impact of foodborne disease pathogens: a shared threat
Future challenges and opportunities

Schedule:

This course is offered in the fall semester.

Tips for first time enrollees:

Here is the direct link to apply: https://explore.msu.edu/apply/

Make sure you choose “first-time user” and then “NON-DEGREE” from the dropdown. There is no application fee for our program, so if you get to an area where it asks you to pay an application fee, then you are not in the correct process. Also, DO NOT CLICK THE BOX that asks if you are going to be taking classes in the global food law program. That question is referring to courses through the College of Law and saying “yes” to that question will only delay your application processing."