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Sustainable Food: Policy and Practice (FOOD90033)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject critically examines the policies, practices and challenges of creating more environmentally sustainable systems of food production, distribution and consumption. The resource dependence and environmental issues associated with existing food systems will be reviewed, including climate change, deforestation, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, oil dependency, and chemical pollution and animal welfare issues. Current and proposed practices and integrated policy solutions for creating more sustainable and less resource-dependent systems of production distribution and consumption will be explored and compared. These initiatives will be placed in the context of a rising global demand for food and shifting dietary patterns. Government policies and regulations will be examined, and the contributions of food producers, corporations, consumers and NGOs in driving change will be analysed.
Subject topics include:
- Sustainable food system policies and planning
- Sustainable agricultural practices
- Sustainable intensification: from high-tech innovations and efficiencies to low-input practices
- Sustainable livestock production and consumption
- Farm animal welfare regulations and labelling
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
- The environmental impacts of food distribution, food miles, food manufacturing and convenience food production and packaging
- Food waste across the supply chain: structural causes and remedies
- Food standards, certification and labelling of sustainably and ethically sourced foods
- Sustainable food consumption practices
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Describe and critically analyse the environmental issues associated with systems of food production and consumption
- Demonstrate an understanding of government policies and the initiatives of producers and consumers for creating more environmentally sustainable food systems
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key frameworks, concepts, arguments and debates in the literature relating to sustainable food systems
Generic skills
- A profound respect for truth, intellectual and professional integrity, and the ethics of scholarship
- Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research
- The ability to work as a team member
- An ability to derive, interpret and analyse social, technical or economic information from primary and other sources
- Awareness of and ability to utilise appropriate communication technology and methods for the storage, management and analysis of data, including literature databases and oral presentation software
- Capacity for creativity and innovation, through the application of skills and knowledge
- Ability to integrate information across sustainable food production systems to solve problems in applied situations across the globe
- Highly developed computer - based skills to allow for effective on-line learning and communication, including literature searching skills
- Highly developed written communication skills to logically and critically present an argument or debate in literature around a particular issue of research
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Essay 1
| Mid semester | 35% |
Essay 2
| End of semester | 65% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Rachel Carey Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 hours (12 seminars) Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 14 August 2020 Census date 21 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Recommended texts and other resources
Readings will be provided via the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Urban Horticulture Course Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Sciences Course Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Sciences Course Graduate Diploma in Food Science Course Graduate Diploma in Urban Horticulture Course Master of Food Science Course Graduate Certificate in Food Science Major Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Regions Specialisation (formal) Food Sustainability Informal specialisation Master of Agricultural Sciences - Elective Subjects Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022