Global Food Systems and Food Security

Unit code: HMG7230 | Study level: Postgraduate
12
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
City Campus
N/A
Overview
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Overview

The Food and Agriculture Organisation defines food security as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. This unit introduces students to the complexity of global food systems and the challenges of ensuring food security for all in a world of climate change, globalization, shifting demographics and new technologies. The different nature of food insecurity in diverse populations will be explored focusing on the relationships between food security, health, nutrition and social stability. This unit will investigate global priorities to transform to sustainable food systems that delivers food security for all today without compromising the food security of future generations. Using systems thinking approaches students will apply these global priorities and the sustainable development goals along with local and Indigenous knowledge and insight to develop placed-based innovative solutions for sustainable local food systems and sustainable diets.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Critique and apply conceptual frameworks and systems thinking approaches to describe and analyse the complexity of global food systems.
  2. Investigate and discriminate issues of food insecurity in diverse populations;
  3. Analyse food system challenges to achieve global food security in contemporary and emerging scenarios; and
  4. Advocate for food system transformation for healthy, equitable and sustainable local food systems and sustainable diets.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment type: Other
|
Grade: 20%
Opinion Editorial on challenges to the global food system (1000 words)
Assessment type: Assignment
|
Grade: 40%
Written report on a food inequity issue (2000 words)
Assessment type: Poster
|
Grade: 40%
Poster presentation on a local sustainable food system (2000 equivalent)

Required reading

Required readings will be made available on VU Collaborate.

As part of a course

This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):

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