Securing Sufficient and Healthy Food (FOOD90039)
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
Contact information
Semester 1
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 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Formerly FOOD90024
Food security is defined by the World Health Organization as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. This is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain in all global sectors with increased population, trade restrictions and the effects of pests and diseases on quality and yield. These factors are compounded by predicted reduced availability of resources such as energy (oil) and fertilizer (phosphorous), and climate challenges. The food that is produced must also be free from pathogens or secondary compounds that affect human or livestock health. This subject will explore the causes of food insecurity and mitigation strategies to secure food at the local and global levels by farmers (producers), politicians, scientists and non-government organizations alike, with a strong focus on the biological and applied production issues.
Topics will include:
- Definitions and causes of food insecurity
- Risks to food security from the environment and current production systems
- Socio-political and cultural reasons behind food crises and lack of access to adequate food
- Securing food locally through rescue and redistribution, and reduced food wastage
- Health risks from food chain contamination
- Major plant and animal-borne diseases that impact food security and their accurate diagnosis
- Impacts of resource utilisation and genetic modifications on the food chain and the environment
- Quarantine measures and impacts for securing food quality and quantity
- Challenges of securing food in a changing climate and adaptations that can address this.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students will be knowledgeable in:
- Causes of food insecurity (political, cultural, economic and biological)
- Vulnerability and resilience of food systems
- Current national and international focus on food policy
- Securing food in a changing world
- Practical grass roots approaches to reducing food waste
- Impacts of pests and diseases on food security
- Pre and post farm-gate methods for food protection and human health protection
- Transformational changes occurring in food production systems aimed to increase yields under current and predicted climatic risks
Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should have developed:
- An ability to critically review scientific literature
- Communication skills, through written and oral presentations
- A sense of intellectual curiosity
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 |
|---|---|---|
Assignment on a topic chosen from a list of provided topics due in approximately Week 6
| Week 6 | 30% |
Oral presentation and participation in a related mini-symposium due in approximately Week 10
| Week 10 | 20% |
Examination
| End of semester | 50% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinators Julia Steenkamp and Mohan Singh Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 hours: 22 hours of lectures, 2 hours of tutorials, 6 hours of seminars Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours including 30 hours contact time and 80 hours of directed study, assessment and reading.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Sciences Course Graduate Diploma in Agricultural Sciences Course Graduate Diploma in Food Science Course Master of Food and Packaging Innovation Course Master of Food Science Course Graduate Certificate in Food Science Specialisation (formal) Food Sustainability Informal specialisation Master of Agricultural Sciences - Elective Subjects - 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.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
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
Last updated: 3 November 2022