Sustainable Food Production (FOOD90034)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 - Online |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Currently, there is more than sufficient food produced on a global scale to feed the population. This has been an upward trend throughout agricultural history, whereby humans have altered their cultivation habits to produce more. However, the continued rise in productivity is unlikely to continue under current systems within which resources are finite. The full impacts of this on a global scale are yet to be experienced by much of the population, largely in developed areas, although viability has dropped in many food producing systems due to increases in input costs of fuel, water, fertilizers and pest and disease control. Meanwhile, at the regional scale, food production systems are already found to be unsustainable with dropping productivity in previously fertile and highly productive areas. The reasons for the production declines are varied and complex, ranging from climate impacts to unsustainable cultivation methods leading to land degradation, reduced fertility and biodiversity required for healthy ecosystems.
This subject will explore the biological issues contributing to the reduction of productivity we are currently observing in these fragile agricultural systems and explore the future issues that are likely to impact on systems thought to currently be more stable. We will thereby understand the components that contribute to sustainable food productivity and learn which of these are most unsustainable and will require future investment in systems change to maintain productivity.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- understand sustainable and unsustainable agricultural practices
- describe the existing agricultural land use and food availability and linkage between increasing human population and climate change and excess pressure on agricultural systems
- explain the importance of biodiversity conservation in agriculture and preventive strategies for biodiversity conservation
- demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of sustainable practices needed to maintain long term food availability from existing agroecoystems
- differentiate different types of sustainable agriculture practices in crop production and animal husbandry and what progress has so far been achieved in improving the sustainability of intensive and organic production systems in under different scenarios within the developing and developed world
- demonstrate the role of new generation technologies and how they will aid the existing conventional technologies to maintain the food availability in resource constrained systems
Generic skills
- A profound respect for truth, intellectual and professional integrity, and the ethics of scholarship
- Develop problem solving skills, sharpen analytic skills
- Capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry and self-directed learning and research
- Develop 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
- 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 globe
- Highly developed computer - based skills to allow for effective on-line learning and communication
- Highly developed written communication skills to allow informed dialogue with individuals and groups from industry, government and the community
Last updated: 4 March 2025
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: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Essay
| Week 5 | 20% |
Oral presentation (online video recording submission)
| Week 9 | 30% |
Essay
| End of semester | 50% |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 2 - Online
Principal coordinator Dorin Gupta Mode of delivery Online Contact hours 36 hours: 24 hours lectures/interactive discussion. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 22 July 2024 to 20 October 2024 Last self-enrol date 2 August 2024 Census date 2 September 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 September 2024 Assessment period ends 15 November 2024 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- 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: 4 March 2025