This case focuses on the banana, the most popular fruit in the world. In the first part of the case, students are introduced to the history of "Banana Republics" and the biological constraints to banana production, including the devastating fungal pathogens that cause black Sigatoka and Panama disease. In the second part, they learn about ethical consumerism, organic and conventional agriculture, and Fair Trade products. The case was developed for an interdisciplinary capstone course, "Global Issues in the Sciences." It could also be used in courses in environmental studies, general biology, agriculture, and plant pathology.

This case study highlights the epidemiological and socioeconomic factors associated with a disease which plagues thousands of people in Central and South America. The case follows the story of Adrian, a banana plantation worker in southwestern Costa Rica who develops a mysterious illness. Students learn about infectious diseases, pathogens, and vectors endemic to the region, and are asked to diagnose Adrian's illness and consider his dilemma with respect to treatment options. The case is appropriate for courses with a component on health care, pharmacology, microbiology, medical anthropology, ethnobotany, or epidemiology. Instructors can choose to focus more on the biological components of the case or more on the socioeconomic and ethical aspects, depending on course goals and subject area.

This analysis case explores second-hand smoke and its impact on the decision to institute a smoking ban in the outdoor seating area of a popular coffee bar. In working through the case, students discuss the medical, ethical, legal, and societal issues of smoking in public areas. in addition, they devise experimental schemes for collecting data to determine how profitability is affected by a smoking ban. The case could be used in many science courses, including introductory biology and chemistry, in addition to liberal arts courses that deal with public policy, such as political science or civics. It could also be used in a course in public health or adapted to a business/management class.

In this case study, students examine tropical deforestation in the Amazon from the perspective of three dominant stakeholders in the region: a peasant farmer, logger, and environmentalist. As part of the exercise, students perform a cost-benefit analysis of clearing a plot of tropical forest in the Amazon from the perspective of one of these stakeholder groups. Developed for a course in global change biology, this case could also be used in courses in general ecology, environmental science, environmental ethics, environmental policy, and environmental/ecological economics.

In this case study, students assess ecotourism in Costa Rica by considering the viewpoints of a displaced landowner, banana plantation worker, environmentalist, state official, U.S. trade representative, and national park employee. Working in small groups, students evaluate the scenario and develop a strategy that can provide balance between the protagonists of the case and the delicate ecosystem. The case was developed for a study abroad course in Costa Rica, but could be applied to traditional courses in sociology, international business, political science, bioethics, or public administration and policy analysis.

"Leo Altamari," CEO of Kutztown Meat Packing Corporation, has just come back from his Monday morning staff meeting, where the major agenda item was a discussion about the irradiation of meat products. Leo must decide whether his company should pursue meat irradiation, weighing the expense of the technology and the wariness of many consumers, even though research has shown it to be an effective means of eliminating E. coli contamination in meat products. Developed for an introductory food science course, the case introduces students to consumer perceptions and beliefs about food irradiation and teaches them how the food industry evaluates new processing technologies from a business perspective.

A possible act of industrial espionage is the backdrop for this case study, which introduces students to analytical techniques routinely used in most areas of biotechnology, including forensic science and paternity suits. In this fictional case, "Roger Wezel," formerly employed at ExOil developing soybean seeds high in oleic acid, now works at a competing company, SeedGene Inc., after befing fired by ExOil over a dispute with his boss. ExOil has just discovered that Roger is at SeedGene, and also that SeedGene is now advertising high-oil soybean seeds. ExOil suspects that Roger stole their seeds and gave them to SeedGene to produce their own high oleic acid variety. ExOil wants to test some of the seeds from their competitor to see if they are the same strain in order to support their accusation that SeedGene is violating their patent. The case is designed for use with advanced biology students or introductory genetics students.

This case study provides a realistic scenario to introduce and reinforce concepts presented in introductory level geography courses, particularly in cartography and in human, physical, or environmental geography. In the case, students read about a land developer who is interested in purchasing an existing New York State ski area and converting it into a resort that caters to snowboarders. Students play the role of consultants hired to analyze eight resorts and determine the most suitable site for investment based on a variety of spatial variables, such as population, income, education, transportation networks, and annual snowfall. The students' task is to outline the criteria to use in determining the optimal site, analyze the available datasets, and present a proposal based on their findings. The case makes use of ArcView 3.3 software.