Sustainable food production - challenges and cropping system solutions
Entry Requirements
Course facts
MX0146, Sustainable food production - challenges and cropping system solutions, 7.5 Hp
Print syllabus
Syllabus
Finalized by: PN - NJ, 2019-09-20
Valid from : Spring semester 2020 (2020-01-20)
Level
First cycle (G1N)
Main field of study
Agricultural Science, Environmental Science
Grading Scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Course language
English
Entry Requirements
Objectives
The course aims to provide students with an overview of how food crops are produced, the major challenges to sustainability associated with agriculture and solutions for increasing sustainability through cropping systems. Critical analysis of the problems and solutions will be encouraged as well as reflection on our personal impact on agricultural sustainability as consumers of food products.
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
- Describe cropping systems used to cultivate the most important food crops
- Identify major challenges to achieving agricultural sustainability and suggest cropping systems-based solutions
- Critically discuss and compare different sustainable agriculture approaches, including their strengths, weaknesses and societal impact
- Reflect on their own impact on agricultural sustainability as a consumers and citizens
Content
The course consists of lectures, seminars and workshops, as well as group project work. Teaching will be provided by scientists who are experts in cropping systems and sustainable agriculture, and complemented by other stakeholders with interests in sustainable agriculture.
Seminars will allow interactive discussions on the lectures and related literature where debate of the key issues will be encouraged. Workshops will be used to share and create knowledge related to assignments and project work, exchange experience and opinions and assess our own personal impact on sustainable food production as consumers and citizens.
The course begins with an overview of the world’s major food crops and how they are produced. Then the major challenges to agricultural sustainability are presented. Focus is on environmental sustainability but economic and social sustainability will be discussed. Using a cases approach, several food production scenarios will be assessed for their sustainability problems and solutions based on scientific research into cropping systems will be presented. These solutions will be critically discussed and analysed. Finally, some wider global issues in agricultural sustainability will be presented and debated.
Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course
Passing grades on assigments and project work. The course contains compulsory elements.
Responsible Department/Equivalent
Department of Crop Production Ecology
Supplementary information
Module set
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Single module | 7.5 | 0101 |
| Project | 3.0 | 0103 |
Other Information
The study pace is 25% over a semester, with the predominant part of the course time in the evening.