Problem Analysis
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Overview
For the Problem Analysis you will be identifying and researching the food system sustainability problem that is the focus of your final project.
Instructions
Submit a 2-page document (excluding References) that examines your sustainability problem in food systems and includes the following, with each as a heading in your submission:
- Introduction: In the first paragraph briefly introduce the problem. Include the scope of the problem, the scale (neighborhood, city, state, etc.), history, etc.
- Problem Statement: In one sentence, clearly state the problem.
- Adverse effects: Why is this a problem? Describe the negative effects across economic, environmental, and social spheres.
- Adversely affected stakeholders: Who(m) is being negatively affected?
- Actions creating adverse effects: Describe the actions, activities and behaviours causing the problem. Be specific. These are not the underlying drivers, which are addressed below.
- For example, if the problem is defined as environmental damage from fertilizer runoff, the actions would include ploughing, farming edge-to-edge, and over-application of fertilizer. The underlying drivers would include economic incentives for mono-cropping, lax enforcement of regulations, etc.
- Benefits and benefiting stakeholders: What are the benefits of the identified actions, activities, and behaviors that are causing the stated problem? Who(m) benefits from them? Keep in mind that there is almost always someone who benefits.
- Underlying drivers: Why does this problem exist and persist?
- Consider underlying social drivers such as motives, needs, desires and preferences.
- Consider the guidelines, rules, regulations, laws that influence actions, activities and behavior.
References: APA Citation Style with at least four academic (peer-reviewed) sources, and six class sources.