Postgraduate Course: Sustainability of Food Production (PGGE11165)
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 | The Sustainability of Food Production module is about exploring and then highlighting the potential solutions to the challenges that are being faced with regards to food production. These challenges include: water and soil resource management, crop nutrition requirements; biotic interactions; genetic base of production; the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
This course explores the conflicts and trade-off among the objectives that are required of food systems. Using health and welfare as central concepts, the course will examine what is required for a healthy environment (including specific resources such as soil), human health and welfare, healthy crops and livestock, sustainable aquaculture and the extent to which attempting to maximise any one of these may (or not) lead to conflicts with others. |
| Course description |
Building on these themes, the module examines a range of approaches to improving the sustainability of food production systems, including nutrient management and farm-level circularity, carbon auditing, integrated crop and livestock management, sustainable aquaculture, genetic improvement, novel crops and proteins, and digital technologies such as satellite-based decision support tools. Through case studies, field-based learning, and critical evaluation of contemporary challenges, students will explore how innovation and evidence-based decision-making can support resilient and sustainable food systems locally and globally.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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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 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
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
There are 2 pieces of course assessment, namely;
A group exercise that will be composed of
a 4000 word group report + 300 word individual personal reflection on your contribution to the report and presentation (40%) The report is submitted through turn-it in.
a group presentation of 15 minutes + 5 minutes for questions (15%)
A 1000 word blog (45%)
Wordpress is used for the blog, and a pdf version is submitted through Turnitin.
Blog 26th October
Group Report 14th December
Group Presentation - 11th December
AI tools may be used for identifying ideas, planning, and improving the clarity of your writing, but not for content generation. AI use must be acknowledged in your submission. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate the principles of the global context of food security.
- Analyse the main trade-offs in food production systems.
- Design and execute independent research, and produce research outputs in a diverse formats (e.g. written reports and oral presentations).
- Construct logically sound arguments and analyse scientific theories and data-generating methodologies (e.g. experiments, surveys).
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Reading List
While specific texts will be referred to in each session, the following selected material should provide useful reference points. Note that this reading list website followed by reference which are in alphabetical order.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/275041/icode/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=fao+facebook
http://www.saiplatform.org/activities/working-groups/beef
http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/sustainability/signature_programs/beef-sustainability.html
http://publications.iadb.org/handle/11319/2350?locale-attribute=en
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/media/weowebsite/factsheets/factsheets.pdf
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/salinity/pdfs/PR22.pdf
Albajes R, Cantero-Martínez C, Capell T et al. (2013) Building bridges: an integrated strategy for sustainable food production throughout the value chain. Molecular Breeding, 32, 743-770.
Battarbee R, Anderson N, Bennion H, Simpson G (2012) Combining limnological and palaeolimnological data to disentangle the effects of nutrient pollution and climate change on lake ecosystems: problems and potential. Freshwater Biology, 57, 2091-2106.
Blakeney M (2011) Patents and plant breeding: Implications for food security. Amsterdam Law Forum.
Boardman, Favis,Mortlock (2014) The significance of drilling date and crop cover with reference to soil erosion by water, with implications for mitigating erosion on agricultural land in South East England. Soil Use and Management, 30, 40-47.
Campbell B, Thornton P, Zougmoré R, Asten P, Lipper L (2014) Sustainable intensification: What is its role in climate smart agriculture? Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 8.
Crutzen P, Mosier A, Smith K, Winiwarter W (2008) N2O release from agro-biofuel production negates global warming reduction by replacing fossil fuels. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8, 389-395.
Erisman J, Grinsven H, Leip A, Mosier A, Bleeker A (2009) Nitrogen and biofuels; an overview of the current state of knowledge. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 86, 211-223.
Franks J (2014) Sustainable intensification: A UK perspective. Food Policy, 47, 7180.
Garrick D (2013) The Colorado and Murray-Darling at a crossroads: Learning from the past, navigating trade-offs.
Gliessman SR Agroecology: The ecology of sustainable food systems (2007 or 2015) CRC Press.
Gronroos J, Seppala J, Voutilainen P, Seuri P, Koikkalainen K (2006) Energy use in conventional and organic milk and rye bread production in Finland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 117, 109118.
Ilodibia CV, Okeke NF, Achebe, Egboka TP, Chukwuma MU (2014) Plant Breeding for Food Security Sustainability and Industrial Growth. International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics, 8, 219-223.
Jørgensen U, Dalgaard T, Kristensen E (2005) Biomass energy in organic farming the potential role of short rotation coppice. Biomass and Bioenergy, 28, 237248.
Kratli S, Huelsebusch C, Brooks S, Kaufmann B (2012) Pastoralism: A critical asset for food security under global climate change. Animal Frontiers, 3, 4250.
Lee N, Plant A Agricultural Water Use in the Colorado River Basin: Conservation and Efficiency Tools for a Water Friendly Future.
Nieuwenhoven A, Knap P, Avendano S (2012) The role of sustainable commercial pig and poultry breeding for food security. Animal Frontiers, 3, 5257.
Pickett J (2013) Food security: intensification of agriculture is essential, for which current tools must be defended and new sustainable technologies invented. Food and Energy Security, 2, 167-173.
Pretty J (2008) Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363, 447-465.
Rigby D, Cáceres D (1998) Organic farming and the sustainability of agricultural systems. Agricultural Systems, 68.
Smith J, Sones K, Grace D, MacMillan S, Tarawali S, Herrero M (2012) Beyond milk, meat, and eggs: Role of livestock in food and nutrition security. Animal Frontiers, 3, 613.
Tittonell P (2014) Ecological intensification of agriculture sustainable by nature. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 8.
Wheeler T, Reynolds C (2012) Predicting the risks from climate change to forage and crop production for animal feed. Animal Frontiers, 3, 3641.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kairsty Topp
Tel:
Email: kairsty.topp@sruc.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Jennifer Gumbrell
Tel:
Email: Jennifer.Gumbrell@sruc.ac.uk |
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