From Farm to Fork: Sustainable Food Systems

fakultatywne
ogólnouniwersyteckie

w sali

In this course, students will examine the sustainability of different types of food systems and interactions between them and the broader environment, including rural-urban synergies. By adopting the broader life cycle thinking and socio-metabolic perspective, they will gain an in-depth understanding of sustainability challenges underpinning food systems and the ability to propose integrated solutions to those challenges.

Students will examine and interrogate concepts such as (urban) agroecology, circular economy, organic farming and organic agriculture movements, permaculture, food-water-energy nexus, seeds sovereignty and socio-ecological resilience of local food systems. They will also become knowledgeable of policies shaping the contemporary agri-food systems. The course will also involve interactive session on envisioning and designing more sustainable and circular food systems.

In this course, students will examine the sustainability of different types of agri-food systems and interactions between them and the broader environment, including rural-urban synergies. By adopting the broader life cycle thinking and socio-metabolic perspective, they will untangle the complexity of the entire food system and gain an in-depth understanding of sustainability challenges underpinning it.

Research on transitions in the agro-food sector often incorporates the multi-level perspective (MLP) transition framework, which will be interrogated alongside other useful (heuristic) frameworks when investigating transitions in food systems. Students will also examine and interrogate concepts such as (urban) agroecology, circular economy in the agri-food sector (including circular business models such as urban farms), organic farming and organic agriculture movements, permaculture, food-water-energy nexus, seeds sovereignty and socio-ecological resilience of local food systems. They will also become knowledgeable of policies and citizen initiatives shaping contemporary food systems and gain the ability to propose integrated solutions to challenges facing those systems. The course will also involve interactive sessions on envisioning and designing more sustainable and circular food systems. Students will also design their own organic gardens by integrating and synthesizing knowledge of agroecology systems and permaculture design principles.

Altieri, M. A. (2018) Agroecology: The Science Of Sustainable Agriculture, Second Edition. CRC Press, New York.

Andersen, C.R., Bruil, J., Chappell, M.J., Kiss, C., Pimbert, M.P. Agroecology Now! Transformations Towards More Just and Sustainable Food Systems. Palgrave Macmillan, Switzerland. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/46819/2021_Book_AgroecologyNow.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Blay-Palmer, A. (2010) Imagining Sustainable Food Systems. Routedge, London.

El Bilali, H. (2020) Transition heuristic frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions. Environ Dev Sustain 22, 1693–1728.

El Bilali, H., Callenius, C., Strassner, C., Probst, L. (2018) Food and nutrition security and sustainability transitions in food systems. Food and Energy Security, 8(2): e00154.

Endo, A., Tsurita, I., Burnett, K., Orencio, P.M. (2017) A review of the current state of research on the water, energy, and food nexus. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 11, 20-30.

Fraňková, E., Haas, W. & Singh, S. (2017) Socio-Metabolic Perspectives on the Sustainability of Local Food Systems. Insights for Science, Policy and Practice. HUEN, volume 7.

Galli, F., Prosperi, P., Favilli, E., D'Amico, S., Bartolini, F., Brunori, G. (2020) How can policy processes remove barriers to sustainable food systems in Europe? Contributing to a policy framework for agri-food transitions. Food Policy, 96: 101871.

Granstedt, A., Johansson, S., Micha, M., Lekan, M. (2017) Will Poland make the same mistakes as Sweden? Opportunities and challenges for a transition to Ecological Recycling Agriculture to save the Baltic Sea environment. Järna: Swedish Biodynamic Institute. ISBN 978-91-639-4478-9

Marinova, D., Bogueva, D. (2022) Sustainability Transitions in Food Production. In: Food in a Planetary Emergency. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7707-6_6

Sensing, J., Cremades, R. & Leeuwen, E. (2023) Cities can steer circular food systems at scale. Nature Food 4, 4.

Shiva, V. (2016) Seed Sovereignty, Food Security. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.

Tornaghi, C. (2014). Critical geography of urban agriculture. Progress in Human Geography, 38(4), 551-567.

Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T. et al. (2009) Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 29, 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1051/agro/2009004

Zimmerer, K.S. & Haan, S. (2019) Agrobiodiversity: Integrating Knowledge for a Sustainable Future. The MIT Press https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11989.001.0001

KNOWLEDGE

- Ability to critically interrogate, compare and contrast, and assess the concepts of sustainable and circular food systems, agroecology, organic farming, permaculture

- Understanding of the major challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable food systems

- Knowledge of transition (heuristic) frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions

- Understanding of foundational agroecological principles, including relationships between agricultural systems and surrounding ecosystems (including actors from-farm-to-fork)

- Ability to critically assess how agri-food policies can support urban-rural linkages and guide the transition to Sustainable (Agri-)Food Systems.

SKILLS

- Development of critical thinking skills when designing and building circular food systems

- Development of analytical and policy analysis skills when analyzing policies shaping the contemporary agri-food systems

- Development of creativity, systems thinking and teamwork skills

- Ability to identify and assess challenges and opportunities when designing Circular Food Systems

COMPETENCIES

- Readiness to make significant contributions to agri-food strategies and projects at the local, regional and national level

- Ability to make conscious food choices

- Ability to apply basic practical organic gardening techniques

Class attendance, readings, and active participation – 20%

Group project – 40%

Individual project – 40%