The course aims to analyze the agriculture and agri-food sector's role in the processes of growth and development, with particular reference to two aspects: 1) the manner in which the development of the agri-food sector have an impact on food security, referring to different contexts development and, therefore, understood both in terms of quantity (little or too much nutrition) and qualitative (good or bad nutrition and wholesomeness of food); 2) the manner in which this role is manifested in the Italian and the related economic and social consequences.