Sustainability in Agricultural Systems
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BIOS1012 | Biosciences | 1 | 10 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- BIOS1012
- School
- Biosciences
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
Agricultural systems can have a variety of sustainability impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and biodiversity loss. In this module, you’ll explore a range of sustainability issues of relevance to both UK and global agricultural systems. Fundamental concepts will be introduced through a series of lectures and an on-farm visit. The topics covered may vary dependent on key issues affecting agriculture in any one year, but examples include: the pillars of sustainability, livestock production, pesticide use, agri-diversity, and land use change. You will further develop these ideas through seminar discussions and a practical class using sustainability assessment tools leading to an assessed report and presentation.
Target Students
The module is targeted for students taking one of the suite of Agriculture degrees: BSc Agriculture, BSc Agriculture and Crop Science, BSc Agriculture and Livestock Science, BSc Integrated Agricultural Business Management.
Assessment
- 70% Report: Sustainable farm systems report - 1000 words text
- 30% Coursework 1: Participation in practicals, tutorial, and field trip
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The aims of this modules are 1. To understand key concepts around sustainability in agricultural production, 2. To explore a variety of systems in the UK and globally and learn about their differing sustainability impacts, 3. To gain experience designing sustainability improvements to agricultural systems.Learning Outcomes
Understand the three pillars of sustainability in the context of agricultural systems.
Identify the key sustainability impacts of a given agricultural system.
Describe different options for improving the sustainability of a given agricultural system.
Assess the pros and cons of specific changes made to improve agricultural sustainability.