Print Syllabus

Syllabus

P000007 Primary production of animal source food - systems perspective and assessment of environmental sustainability, 3.0 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Postgraduate level

Grading scale

Language

English

Prior knowledge

Admitted to a postgraduate program. The seminars will also be open to researchers/supervisors at the faculty.

Objectives

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
• Describe the basic concepts for plant production such as grain crops and leys, and generally explain the relationships between choice of crop, environmental impact and soil carbon storage
• Explain how biodiversity and soil erosion are affected by cropping and grazing
• Describe different aspects of how livestock production affect the environment and climate and discuss possibilities for mitigation of negative impact
• Describe circular food systems, including aquaculture, and discuss opportunities and potential risks with these systems
• Explain general principles of system analysis, describe different methods of sustainability assessment and identify challenges with different methods
• Assess the impact of the student’s own research project related to future challenges and opportunities related to livestock production in the context of sustainability

Content

The course focuses on primary production of animal source food and how the complete system up to farm-gate affects the environment. Different topics will be covered by experts in the fields in eight lectures followed by discussions. Relevant literature will be provided for the students to read before each lecture. The course meetings will be spread over one complete semester. The examination consists of a written summary submitted to the course leader team where the students relate their own research project to the different themes and an oral presentation given in a group session with other students. Other students will contribute with asking questions and give their perspectives on each presentation. Online participation will be facilitated.

Formats and requirements for examination

The oral presentation and written summary are required in order to pass the course. The course objectives will be evaluated by the students’ written summary and the oral presentation as well as questions, both asked and answered, on the last course session.

Additional information

The course is initiated by the faculty as part of its long-term investments in interdisciplinary research with the aim of developing knowledge about sustainable systems for food production.

Responsible department

Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare