Undergraduate Course: Global Crop and Livestock Systems (VETS10042)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines global crop and livestock farming systems by continent and agroecological zone, their current and potential future contribution to global food security, and the role of natural and social science and technology in enhancing system productivity and sustainability.
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| Course description |
The course includes:
- An introduction to global crop and livestock production systems.
- Approaches to evaluating productivity, sustainability and contribution to global food security.
- Student-led sessions focussing on
- key features of major or emerging crop and livestock production systems (of the students' choice) from the featured continent/agroecological zone;
- evaluating the system's production, efficiency, sustainability and contribution to global food security;
- examples of state-of-the-art research enhancing production, efficiency, sustainability and contribution to global food security.
- Guest seminars from international experts.
- Visits to Scottish research institutes or production facilities working on globally-important crop and livestock systems.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
60 %,
Practical Exam
40 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
40% weighting: Summative Assessment/Assignment 1: Group Presentation Group presentations (seminar/conference style) on evaluation of a global crop and livestock system of the group's choice. Students will work in groups of around 2-4, with one group presenting per week in most weeks from week 4 of the course. Presentations should cover: (i) System overview and rationale for choice of system; (ii) Approach to system evaluation, rationale for this and choice of metrics; (iii) Results of system evaluation; (iv) Recent/ongoing contributions of science and technology to enhancing the productivity, sustainability and contribution to global food security of this system; and (v) Key sources of information. Students will be marked on the group presentation (70% of total marks for this assessment on the components listed above - see assignment document for detailed breakdown; 15% on visual aids; 15% on group response to questions).
60% weighting: Summative assessment/Assignment 2 - Individual Student Written Report (week 12) Students will produce a single, individually-authored, written (3000 word maximum) report on an evaluation of a global crop and livestock system, based on a different global crop or livestock system from that in their group presentation, comprising two parts:
PART A (50% of the marks for this assignment)
Part A should cover the following criteria: (i) System overview and rationale for choice of system; (ii) Approach to system evaluation, rationale for this and choice of metrics; (iii) Results of system evaluation; (iv) Recent/ongoing contributions of science and technology to enhancing the productivity, sustainability and contribution to global food security of this system.
PART B (50% of the marks for this assignment)
A proposed research programme OR business innovation OR policy innovation to enhance productivity, sustainability and contribution to global food security of this system.
The report should also include a list of sources of data/information used in each of the two parts.
Both Parts A and B should be the student's own work i.e. NOT based on the group-sourced data and evaluation presented in Assignment 1. Half of the marks for this assignment will be allocated to Part A, and half to Part B. Hence, the number of words allocated to Parts A and B should be roughly equal. |
| Feedback |
Formative online MCQs early in course on global crop and livestock production systems and their evaluation.
Informal and formal feedback on student presentations
Formal feedback on written report
Discussion during lectures and tutorials |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of, opportunities for, and threats to, major global crop and livestock farming systems.
- Evaluate the sustainability of representative current global crop and livestock production systems and the recent or ongoing contributions of science and technology to enhancing their productivity , sustainability and contribution to global food security.
- Create a research programme, business innovation or policy innovation to enhance productivity, sustainability and contribution to global food security of a major or emerging global crop and/or livestock production system.
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Reading List
1. Robinson, T.P., Thornton P.K., Franceschini, G., Kruska, R.L., Chiozza, F., Notenbaert, A., Cecchi, G., Herrero, M., Epprecht, M., Fritz, S., You, L., Conchedda, G. & See, L. 2011. Global livestock production systems. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), 152 pp
Especially Chapters 1, 2 and 8. Chapter 2 provides a good overview and comparison of classification methods of global crop (despite the title) and livestock production systems and their pros and cons - the particular context here is on suitability for use in 'data driven' mapping systems e.g. using earth observation, but the review has broader relevance.
2. John Dixon, J., Gulliver, A. with Gibbon, D. (2001) Farming Systems and Poverty. (Principal Editor: Malcolm Hall.) FAO and World Bank, Rome and Washington D.C.
Summary: http://www.fao.org/3/a-ac349e.pdf
Full text: http://www.fao.org/3/y1860e/y1860e.pdf
See summary for a concise overview of farming systems in global regions esp in Global South, criteria for evaluating potential of systems to contribute to poverty reduction, and proposed pathways out of poverty for different farming systems.
See full publication for maps illustrating principal production systems in each region and more detail on these.
3. FAO. 2020. World Food and Agriculture - Statistical Pocketbook 2020. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/cb1521en/CB1521EN.pdf
High level statistics on global agriculture and food - for accessing data to support student-led sessions and reports
4. FAOSTAT: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home
Detailed statistics on global agriculture and food - for accessing data to support student-led sessions and reports.
5. Fischer, G., Shah, M. & van Velthuizen, H. 2002. Climate Change and Agricultural Vulnerability. Special Report. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria. 152 pp.
6. CGIAR network of research centres focussed on food security and development https://www.cgiar.org/ and especially CGIAR Research Centers: https://www.cgiar.org/research/research-centers/
7. Websites of national ministries of agriculture, producer organisations or equivalent
For accessing data to support student led sessions and reports. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Enquiry and lifelong learning
Aspiration and personal development
Outlook and engagement
Research and enquiry
Personal and intellectual autonomy
Personal effectiveness
Communication |
| Keywords | Crops,livestock,farming systems,agriculture,agroecology,food security |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Geoff Simm
Tel: (0131 6)51 7437
Email: Geoff.Simm@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Gordon Littlejohn
Tel: (0131 6)51 7454
Email: Gordon.Littlejohn@ed.ac.uk |
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