Sustainable Food Systems

The programme will give you knowledge and skills for a sustainable development in food systems in light of challenges in local and global contexts. Food systems build complex chains, including primary production, processing, packaging, distribution, marketing, cooking, consumption, and waste treatment. To be able to deal with these multi-disciplinary perspectives it is necessary that students with natural science and social science backgrounds collaborate.

Students with diverse background, knowledge and experience will contribute to the learning outcome. Learning from each other will enable a deeper understanding of needs for transitions to more sustainable food systems today and in the future. Teaching is therefore student centred and based on interaction and collaboration between students in case studies, seminars, group works, report writing and oral presentations. Dialogue and networking among the students is essential. Lectures will contribute with up to date scientific knowledge.

The programme will give you knowledge about innovations at different levels in the food system and the role those play in sustainable development. Resource needs and their contributions will be discussed in the different food systems.

You will be trained to initiate, organise and lead processes that lead to sustainability in food systems. This includes risk evaluation and handling conflicts of interest. During the programme, you will develop your skills in critical thinking and identifying key issues, reviewing, evaluating and arguing possible alternative solutions.

Please note that students who meet the entry requirements for the programme are not necessarily qualified for admission to these courses. Some courses require a certain number of credits at first-cycle level in a natural science subject, such as biology or food science.

• Animal Food Science, 15 ECTS
• Ecology for Fish Management and Conservation, 15 ECTS
• Human Nutrition and Physiology, 15 ECTS
• Principles of Fisheries Science, 15 ECTS
• Plant Food Science, 15 ECTS
• Environmental Economics and Management 15, ECTS
• Research Methods in Social Sciences, 15 ETCS

Course syllabuses provide information about a course’s subject area(s) and its level and specialisation. The syllabus is available from the course’s webpage which you can search for here. If you are studying on a programme, you can in most cases click the course heading on the programme’s course schedule to go to the course page.

Abbreviations

• G1N: First-cycle level, only upper secondary entry requirements
• G1F: First-cycle level, fewer than 60 credits from first-cycle courses as entry requirement
• G2F: First-cycle level, a minimum of 60 credits at first-cycle level as entry requirement
• G2E: First-cycle level, a minimum of 60 credits at first-cycle level as entry requirement, contains a degree project for the Degree of Bachelor
• A1N: Second-cycle level, only first-cycle course(s) as entry requirement – at SLU, a minimum of 120 credits at first-cycle level is required
• A1F: Second-cycle level, contains degree project for
  Master’s degree (60 credits)
• GXX: First-cycle level, course specialisation cannot be classified
• AXX: Second-cycle level, course specialisation cannot be classifie

Course schedule, NM032 Sustainable Food Systems, 2025-2026 (PDF)