Sustainability assessment in food and farming systems – conventional, organic and beyond

The students will be introduced to theoretical understanding, practical tools, conceptual frameworks, as well as principles and regulations influencing current agricultural and food system policies and their practical application.

The course will introduce students to overall concepts of sustainability and its different aspects in terms of ecological sustainability (environment and production), social sustainability, economical sustainability and institutional sustainability.

The pedagogical approach is based on a concept developed over the series of earlier NOVA Courses, organized by the NOVA Agro-ecology group, consisting of a pre-course assignment, experiential learning platform, research-based learning, lectures and high degree of interaction during the course. Ownership and responsibility for the learning process will strengthen the participants’ competences in reflecting, describing and developing their own research.

The proposed course will include lectures representing four themes which all represent aspects of sustainability, and seeing it in short and long term perspectives:

1. Understand the aspects of sustainability from a theoretical point of view
2. Understand sustainability in different practical contexts and understand practical assessment tools
3. Agriculture and sustainability – how can agricultural systems and policies connected to agriculture be viewed in relation to sustainability on short and long term basis?
4. Food systems and sustainability – how can the way in which agricultural production and produce are organized in food markets and systems be assessed in relation to sustainability?