FBMSYS-Introduction to Food Systems

Module Provider: Food and Nutritional Sciences
Number of credits: 15 [7.5 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Prof Richard Frazier
Email: r.a.frazier@reading.ac.uk

Module Co-convenor: Dr Emma Bennett
Email: e.j.bennett@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Online Course

Summary module description:

This online module will advance the system science knowledge of students and enable them to begin addressing systemic challenges that the food sector faces.Ìý Students will learn how food systems work, and how they can be analysed, optimised, and newly created.Ìý This will embed knowledge and skills that will enable students to better articulate and address the big challenges that society currently faces, including ensuring that consumers have access to sustainable and healthy diets, while providing foods through environmentally sustainable and climate neutral food supply chains.

Aims:

This introductory module aims to give students knowledge, skills and social competences on the food system, systems approaches to solving problems, and challenges in the food sector.Ìý The module aims to:

1. Introduce the concept of Food Systems;


2. Introduce Systems Science principles to enable analysis and optimisation of complex systems;


3. Encourage students to reflect on their own position in the Food System, as consumers and as professionals, and their individual profile and ambitions within those contexts.

Assessable learning outcomes:

After completing the module, students can:

1. (K) Define Food Systems and describe their importance to society;


2. (K) Explain key elements of system science, list the principal components of the food system and describe their systemic interactions and dependencies;


3. (S) Describe and evaluate potential effects of changes in components or syb-systems of the whole food system;


4. (S) Identify current challenges, critically e valuate different responses to these challenges, and draft their own responses;


5. (S) Outline own competence profile in different subfields of the food sector, identify and name gaps that prevent an in integrated consideration of Food Systems aspect;


6. (SC) Formulate individual development goals.

(K) Knowledge; (S) Skills; (SC) Social Competences

Additional outcomes:

The module will provide an introduction to the overall programme of study and roles of contributors within the MSc Food Systems programme.

Outline content:

The module will be delivered in the format of an online course, with video lectures completmented by directed reading, discussion boards and exercises to deliver the following content:

1. An Introduction to Food Systems – a first insight into the Food Systems concept, including:
   
   
   
   1. Why Food Systems? Global challenges and trends
   
   
   2. Innovation opportunities in Food Systems: Creativity and transformational power
   
   
   3. Food Systems in a societal context: Ehtics and environmental sustainability
   
   
   
   


2. Fundamentals of System Sciences – key systems sciences concepts, including:
   
   
   
   1. System science elements: System analysis, design and engineering, theories and methodologies
   
   
   2. Systemic interaction: Components and sub-systems, systemic interfaces
   
   
   3. Dyn amics: feedback, feed-forward, stability, tipping points
   
   
   
   


3. Food System Nodes – the elements of the food system in a system science context, including:
   
   
   
   1. Production
      
      
      
      1. Enablers, seeds, chemicals
      
      
      2. Farming and Smart Farming
      
      
      3. Bulk raw material
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. Processing
      
      
      
      1. Business-to-business (B2B): functional ingredients
      
      
      2. Business-to-consumers (B2C): food an