Postgraduate Course: Interrelationships in Food Systems (PGGE11166)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Food security depends on interactions between environmental, economic, social, behavioural and policy factors. Actions intended to improve food security or sustainability can have wider and sometimes unintended consequences. This module examines these relationships from a food systems perspective, exploring environmental impacts, individual behaviour, food waste and circularity, economics and natural capital, policy and governance, collective behaviour, and the trade-offs and synergies associated with change. The module adopts a systems thinking perspective and uses system dynamics to move from mapping complex relationships to evaluating interventions and exploring alternative pathways. It combines conceptual and analytical perspectives with applied case studies and interactive learning, progressing from understanding food system interrelationships to examining how interventions can contribute to system change. |
| Course description |
Wk Topic
1 Food Systems Thinking and Complexity
2 Environmental Impacts across Food Systems: Life Cycle Assessment
3 Individual Behaviour and Decision Making in Food Systems
4 Food Waste, Circular Food Systems and Resource Efficiency
5 Economics, Natural Capital and Food System Sustainability
6 Flexible Learning Week
7 System Dynamics I: Mapping Food System Interconnections
8 Policy, Governance and Food System Intervention: Food Waste + Policy Round Table
9 System Dynamics II: Evaluating Interventions and Transformation Pathways
10 Collective Behaviour and Food System Coordination
11 Food System Trade-offs, Synergies and Unintended Consequences
12 Food Systems Integration: Interactive Seminar
13 Assignment 2 group poster presentations
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assignment 1
Individual analytical essay: Understanding a food system challenge
Why does a selected food system challenge arise or persist? Critically analyse the key actors, drivers and interrelationships that shape the challenge. Drawing on two or three relevant perspectives from the first part of the course, examine how these factors interact and contribute to its causes and consequences, including unintended effects. Identify potential leverage points for change, without evaluating specific interventions.
-2500 words (excluding references)
-Percentage of final mark 50%
-Instructions on topic, structure and marking elements will be available in Learn by 25th January 2027
-Deadline: Individual essays to be submitted in Learn by 5 pm on Friday 26th February 2027
-Expected feedback: within 4 weeks
Assignment 2 - Group poster presentation: Responding to a food system challenge
How can a selected food system challenge be addressed? Develop and critically assess an integrated response, considering how interventions, actors and different parts of the food system interact. Working in groups, students will develop and present an evidence based poster addressing a contemporary food system challenge. They should propose and compare potential interventions, considering relevant actors, policy and governance, individual and collective behaviour, trade-offs and synergies, and unintended consequences. The poster should identify the conditions needed to support effective change.
-Percentage of final mark 50%
-The poster and presentation receive a group mark, while a short individual reflective statement provides further evidence for light adjustment of each students mark to further reflect their individual contribution and learning.
-Instructions on topic, structure and marking elements will be available in Learn by 1st March 2027
-Deadline: Both group poster and individual reflective statements to be submitted in Learn by 5 pm on Friday 26th March 2027
-Group presentations (25 presentation & 5 Q&A) will take place on 31st March 2027 (slots will be circulated closer to the time)
-Expected feedback: within 4 weeks
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Explain key interrelationships within food systems and their implications for food security and sustainability.
- Assess environmental impacts, economic and natural capital dimensions, food waste, circularity and resource use across food systems.
- Analyse how individual and collective behaviour, policy and governance influence food system outcomes and responses to intervention.
- Apply systems thinking and system dynamics to map interconnections, evaluate alternative interventions and identify trade-offs, synergies and unintended consequences.
- Integrate evidence and perspectives across food systems to critically analyse complex challenges and develop reasoned responses.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Luiza Toma
Tel:
Email: Luiza.Toma@sruc.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Jennifer Gumbrell
Tel:
Email: Jennifer.Gumbrell@sruc.ac.uk |
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