Future Food Sustainability MSc

• Professor Paul Burgess

Human population growth and increased resource use per capita requires improved management of our global ecosystem. Approaches such as the “Sustainable Development Goals”, “Natural Capital”, “Ecosystem Services”, and “Planetary Boundaries” provide frameworks for businesses and wider society to resolve the synergies and trade-offs between major economic, environmental and social challenges.  The “Circular Economy” approach refers to the development of “restorative” industrial systems that are grounded on the lessons of non-linear, feedback-rich ecosystems.  The third approach is to explore the nexus between renewable energy, food, and other ecosystem services using per capita energy and food consumption. This module introduces and critiques the above frameworks and examines their application to resolve real-world problems and create commercial opportunities.  

• Definitions of sustainability; the Sustainable Development Goals, moving from an “Empty World” to a “Full World”,
• Natural capital, ecosystem processes and succession; the role of energy; feedback systems; biodiversity and system restoration,
• Using an ecosystem services and “doughnut economics” approach: quantifying trade-offs and synergies; improving water and nutrient management, reducing greenhouse gases emissions, enhancing stability, resistance and resilience, and issues of equity,
• Introduction to the circular economy: opportunities for businesses,
• How design, manufacturing practice and management can contribute to a circular economy,
• Case study: trade-offs, synergies, and opportunities to enhance well-being and ecosystem service provision in terms of energy, food, feed and wood for a case study area.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Critique terms such as “sustainability”, “ecosystem services”, “biodiversity”, “human well-being”, “circular economy”, “per capita energy use”, “natural capital” and “doughnut economics”,
• Evaluate how natural capital and ecosystem service approaches can guide businesses and society to make decisions regarding the use of ecological resources, with a focus on biodiversity, greenhouse gases, and water use,
• Explain how we can enhance the stability, resistance and resilience of human and natural systems,
• Explain how the “circular economy” provides commercial opportunities,
• Use a per capita approach to explore the synergies between food, feed, wood, and renewable energy production to guide decision making and identify opportunities in the context of a case-study.

• Dr Zoltan Kevei

This modules provides a critical appraisal of the role of the main technologies available to advance sustainable crop production and food security. This includes a consideration of the importance of crop breeding, seed technology and crop protection with particular emphasis on future needs. 

Seed industry:

• Basic principles of genetics as applied to representative crop species,
• Plant breeding strategies including conventional selection and marker assisted selection,
• Genetic modification of crop plants,
• Seed production and seed treatment technologies.

Agrochemicals:

• Discovery and design of novel agrochemicals: screening, computer aided molecular design, formulation,
• Insecticides, fungicides and herbicides: importance in food security - past and future, modes of action, regulation,
• Biocontrol agents – principles and case studies,
• Phytohormones and crop enhancers: agrochemicals to control plant growth and development.


 

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Explain the main strategies and technologies in producing new, improved varieties of crop plants,
• Critically appraise the role of plant breeding and seed technology in delivering global food security,
• Explain the process of developing a new agrochemical, and the main classes of agrochemicals currently and previously in use,
• Critically appraise the main methods of biocontrol as an alternative to fungicides and insecticides,
• Evaluate the contribution of research in developing plant-based technologies.

• Professor Jacqueline Hannam

Food security and environmental protection depends upon the effective management of soil that requires a key understanding of soil properties, processes and functions. This module will focus on a fundamental understanding of the science of soil systems and how decisions in land management affect soil functions, particularly related to food production. 

• Soil functions, ecosystem goods and services and concepts of soil health,
• Plant responses to solar radiation, temperature, drought and aeration stress,
• Soil texture, bulk density, porosity and structure,
• Soil-water interactions,
• Soil chemistry: Nutrients, pH, CEC, salinity and the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles,
• Soil organisms: diversity and functional importance,
• Regenerative agriculture and innovations in agricultural production.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Describe the role of soil systems in the context of soil functions, ecosystem services and soil health.
• Quantify key soil physical, chemical and biological properties and their links to soil health and functions.
• Assess the principal responses of plants to the climatic environment.
• Evaluate the impact of soil management and agricultural innovation in agricultural production and links to soil health

• Dr Abhijeet Ghadge

During this module you will be introduced to key aspects of supply chain (SC) management which are critical to improving the overall resilience of the global food supply network.

• SC concepts and strategies,
• Sustainable and circular food SCs,
• SC risk identification and mitigation,
• Procurement strategy management,
• Quality management and Six Sigma,
• Technology applications for improving SC performance.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• To assess the impact of different supply chain strategies on the competitive strategy in the Food and Drinks industry.
• To analyse the interface with a firm’s suppliers to improve visibility and alignment across the supply chain.
• To design a successful collaborative initiative through the use of frameworks and tools from industry 4.0.
• To assess the challenges around managing sustainable food supply chains.
• To evaluate the risk inherent in the supply chain and mitigate them using resilient strategies.

• Dr Toby Waine

The purpose of this module is to provide you with a set of practical applications and tools for developing, managing and analysing ‘Big Data’, to better deliver food security, as well as to explore barriers and solutions to the adoption of data-driven technologies by producers.  A secure, reliable and sustainable food production system will increasingly rely on advanced technologies, such as real-time field sensing, model data fusion and advanced forecasting. It will need to operate effectively within new and changing environmental constraints and so will need to consider and be represented within (eco)systems goods and services models to ensure food security that is both economic and environmentally sustainable. The proposed course will introduce and develop core skills in data acquisition, data and information management, and social science knowledge of farm extension associated with the adoption of data-driven technologies. It will incorporate ground, aerial and space borne sensing and sensor techniques for predictive mapping within the context of modelling agricultural ecosystems goods and services. 

This module is 10 credits.

• Introduction to Information Rich Agricultural Systems,
• Barriers and adoption of data-driven technologies,
• Sensing and sensors in Agricultural Systems,
• Spatial interactions of food production,
• Data and Information Management,
• Big data: what can the past tell us about the future?
• Ecological Agriculture in the Digital Age,
• Informatics-based decision making.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Critically evaluate the potential of sensor systems (remote/near etc.) to measure and monitor the agri-environment,
• Use GIS to measure and monitor the agri-environment,
• Explain the inter-relationship between the ecology and agriculture and the ecosystem goods and services that agriculture within its landscape provides,
• Critically evaluate adoption issues associated with data-driven technologies,
• Communicate conclusions effectively, including assumptions and methodologies, to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

• Dr Georgios Pexas

Environmental impact assessment and life cycle analysis are important tools for evaluating the sustainability of complex renewable energy technologies and industrial processes or products. The tools and concepts taught in this module will enable you to assess the sustainability of a case study from an environmental standpoint. Analysis of relevant case studies to demonstrate the assessment process, including how to account for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.

This module is 10 credits.

• Environmental Impact Assessment,
• Indicator selection and analysis,
• Life cycle analysis and carbon footprinting,
• Social impact assessment,
• The use of appropriate software for lifecycle analysis.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Critically assess the emissions and waste production throughout the lifecycle of a technology or process,
• Design a framework to ensure compliance of a process, product or service to support the transition to Net Zero that is  compliant with regulatory and voluntary requirements,
• Critically evaluate different environmental and social appraisal metrics,
• Design and implement a strategy to assess the environmental sustainability of a process or technology, and evaluate the associated uncertainties.

• Professor Jerry Knox

Water is an essential factor of production in agrifood systems; whether for growing crops, supporting livestock or food manufacture. Globally, 70% of freshwater withdrawals are used for agriculture, but increasing demand for food means that this figure is likely to increase dramatically in the future. At the same time climate change is affecting supply and other demands on water are increasing. Mismanagement of water for food production has led to social and environmental problems in many places. Water availability is therefore a significant global risk to sustainable food production. This module will consider the water requirements of crop and livestock systems; the evaluation of the water related impacts and risks in producing locations; and management and technological solutions to minimise water related impacts and risks in food supply chains.

• Introduction: Water for food; Water and climate risks in agrifood systems,
• Soil water retention and water movement through soil/plant systems,
• Water requirements for agrifood systems: Irrigation systems (surface, overhead and localised irrigation); Calculating irrigation water requirements; Water requirements for livestock: Water footprinting: Water inventory; Weighting for impact; Hotspot identification,
• Evaluating and managing the performance of irrigation systems including yield response to water, irrigation scheduling and efficiency,
• Impacts of droughts and water scarcity; Climate change,
• Responding to water footprints; Water risk, resilience and adaptation.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Evaluate the role and importance of water in crop and livestock systems,
• Design and evaluate management and technological solutions to minimise the water-related impacts and risks to crop and livestock production systems in food supply chains,
• Critically appraise the role of water in future challenges to food sustainability.

• Dr Kenisha Garnett

Strategic foresight research refers to a range of methods that can be used to identify, analyse and communicate insights about the future. Standard methods include horizon scanning, trend research, and scenario planning. Outputs include emerging issues, trends, visions, scenarios, and wild cards. The methods employed and insights produced are used by both private and public sector organisations to inform a wide range of policy, risk, strategy and innovation processes. Foresight research is a truly inter-disciplinary ‘science’, covering and combining developments in society, technology, economy, ecology, politics, legislation and values.

Crucially, foresight research is as much about analysing the past and present, as it is about looking to the future. Once we understand how a system has developed and works today, we can explore how it may evolve and what it may look like in the future. Strategic foresight techniques consider a wide range of possible, plausible futures so that planning can be put in place to adapt to and mitigate against various conditions. It is designed to add resilience, adaptability and flexibility to organisations in an increasingly complex and fast changing world.

This module will explore how:

• Horizon scanning can act as a method of gathering new insights that may point us towards affirming or discrediting existing trends and developments, as well as identifying new and emerging trends and developments that are on the margins of our current thinking, but will impact on the future.

Other foresight methodologies (e.g. scenario planning, visioning, back-casting) can be used to help us to use the trends identified from horizon scanning to identify how the future might develop.

In this module, you will adopt a bespoke three-step foresight process to interpret change in the external organisational environment and use the insights generated to anticipate plausible futures and stress-test strategies that support building organisational resilience.

The foresight process will support you in building:

Robust organisational intelligence through systematic horizon scanning and insight generation.

Resilience through comprehensive exploration and interpretation of the future to maintain flexibility (ability to adapt) against impending risks and to cease opportunities.

Step 1: Build organisational intelligence.

A 360o horizon scan of the external environment, both operational (e.g. market and consumer trends, competition) and contextual (e.g. regulatory constraints and opportunities, technological and social change), to systemically analyse those trends and patterns within the industry/sector and beyond that point to persistent trends, discontinuities or sharp disruptions that may challenge the future direction and ambition of your organisation.

Step 2: Develop a set of alternative plausible future scenarios.

Build a set of plausible scenarios that explore alternative development pathways for your organisation in the future. The scenarios will reflect both positive and negative factors influencing the development of the organisation over the short to long-term, considering the contrasting role that various external driver of change (e.g. socio-demographic, technological, economic and policy change) will play. The scenarios should also consider discontinuities or sharp disruptive events (e.g. fuel crisis, political conflict or war) that may challenge the organisation’s continuity and its resilience, requiring an analysis of risks, opportunities and trade-offs over the long-term.

Step 3: Create a vision and strategic roadmap for achieving a desirable future (scenario).

Develop a vision and strategic roadmap for achieving the utopian scenario (i.e. most desirable future), defining the pathway and options for achieving the ambitions of your organisation. Apply the scenarios to stress-test the organisation’s future vision / strategy against potential disruption and to better prepare for other impending risks (e.g. financial and regulatory constraints) but also ceasing the opportunities that may arise.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

• Assess why organisations engage in strategic foresight research and what foresight research aims to achieve - and what it cannot do,
• Evaluate the utility and application of different foresight research methodologies,
• Examine the role of foresight research evidence in a broad organisational and environmental context,
• Identify and apply the tools of strategic foresight research in a broad organisational and environmental context.
• Apply strategic foresight research methods to support a convincing case for action within the organisation and use foresight research evidence to effectively plan for the long-term resilience of the organisation.