Postgraduate Course: Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems (VESC11188)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies | 
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
 
| Course type | Online Distance Learning | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| SCQF Credits | 20 | 
ECTS Credits | 10 | 
 
 
| Summary | Producing food sustainably requires innovation systems that meet the needs of a range of actors across food systems. This course explores innovation and sustainability in the context of food production | 
 
| Course description | 
    
    Ensuring food supplies in a sustainable and equitable manner in the face of climate change driven events is one of the key challenges facing societies in the 21st Century. While often posed as a production led innovation challenge, at least as important are the societal contexts, including changing patterns of consumption.  This course considers sustainable food systems and food security from a wide range of perspectives, examining farming as a social practice, as commercial food production, as a contribution and challenge to environmental policy and as an integral part of sustainable and healthy consumption. Innovation is examined in both its scientific and social aspects. 
 
Introduction: setting the context 
Farmers and Scientists: knowledge exchange 
Farmers and environmental impact: scales of change 
Farm Livestock and people 
Challenges of infectious diseases (plant and animal) 
Agricultural Innovation Systems 
Biotechnology and Agriculture 
Sustainable consumption 
Sustainable food production systems 
Alternative production systems 
    
    
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
 
Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
		| High Demand Course? | 
		Yes | 
     
 
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1) 
  
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Quota:  30 | 
 
| Course Start | 
Flexible | 
 
| Course Start Date | 
 | 
 
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 )
 | 
 
| Assessment (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
 | 
 
 
| Additional Information (Assessment) | 
Formative -  
500 word critique of a scientific publication (publication to be linked to summative assessment) - peer and tutor feedback provided. 
 
Summative -  
1. Reflective Case Study: 70% 
2. Individual Poster (with audio description): 30% | 
 
| Feedback | 
Not entered | 
 
| No Exam Information | 
 
Learning Outcomes 
    On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
    
        - Demonstrate critical awareness of the range of social contexts within which food production operates and the challenges of knowledge exchange within food production systems. (SQF 11.1)
 - Demonstrate extensive, detailed and critical knowledge of different dimensions of sustainable food production systems and the implications for innovation. (SQF 11.3)
 - Demonstrate ability to identify, conceptualise and offer new and creative insights into innovation in food production systems. (SQF 11.2)
 - Demonstrate ability to communicate using appropriate style and language for different audiences within a food production system.  (SQF 11.4)
 - Demonstrate ability to take responsibility for their own work. (SQF 11.5)
 
     
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | Not entered | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Ann Bruce 
Tel: (0131 6)50 9106 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Mrs Elizabeth Wright 
Tel: (0131 6)50 6272 
Email:  | 
   
 
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