Food and the Environment

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 12. Responsible consumption and production
• 13. Climate action

Objectives

The Food and the Environment course is part of the Food and Health Intervention Strategies subject, included in the optional module corresponding to the optional training of the degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

The general objectives of this course are:

• To know the different agri-food systems.
• To learn to interpret the link between the sustainability of the agri-food system and people's health.
• To relate sustainability to food recommendations.
• To know and know how to interpret the environmental, social and economic impact of diets.
• To develop and acquire tools and skills to plan more sustainable food advice and recommendations.

Learning outcomes

• LO1. To evaluate professional practices in emerging and global contexts and propose lines of intervention adjusted to the different realities.
• LO2. To design interventions that meet the needs of the field in a multidisciplinary way.

Competencies

Specific skills

• Intervene in the design, planning, analysis and assessment of dietary and nutritional education programmes and participate in advocacy, prevention and health protection activities in the community.

Core skills

• Interact in international and worldwide contexts to identify needs and and new contexts for knowledge transfer to current and emerging fields of professional development, with the ability to adapt to and independently manage professional and research processes.

Content

1. Sustainability and food
   
   1. Sustainability.
   2. Food and food systems
   3. Food sustainability: Hotspots
2. Agri-food systems
   
   1. Evolution of the agri-food systems
   2. Industrial production and the green revolution
   3. Organic production
   4. From agroecology to food sovereignty
3. The diet, health and sustainability trilemma
   
   1. Sustainable diets
   2. Impact of diet on health and the environment
   3. Some relevant issues
4. Tools and initiatives for a more sustainable food
   
   1. Tools
   2. Initiatives
   3. The role of the dietician-nutritionist

Evaluation

According to the UVic Regulations, approved by the University's Board of Directors, there will only be one official call that will cover two different evaluation periods:

• Ordinary period, which will take place during the academic period.
• Complementary assessment period.

Ordinary period

Continuous evaluation of the activities carried out by the student through:

• Final project: 40% of the final grade of the subject / recoverable
• Resolution of exercises, cases and compulsory practical sessions (in the blended learning mode, activities of an evaluative nature will be carried out during the face-to-face session): 60% of the final grade of the subject / non-recoverable

The final mark of the subject will be the result of the weighting of the marks obtained in each of the parts. The subject is approved with a minimum average grade of 5.

Complementary evaluation period

The student who does not pass some of the activities considered recoverable may recover them during this period, as long as the total of parts not passed in the subject does not represent 50% of the final grade.

Important

Plagiarism or copying another person's work is penalised at all universities and, according to the Community guidelines of the UVic-UCC, it is a serious or very serious offence. Therefore, any indication of plagiarism or misappropriate use of texts or ideas of another person (see what is considered plagiarism) as well as the improper or undeclared use of artificial intelligence, will automatically result in failing the activity and/or other disciplinary measures.

To facilitate the appropriate citation of texts and materials, consult the guidelines for academic citation available on the UVic Library website.

Methodology

The subject is structured around:

• Theoretical sessions in the classroom
• Exercise resolution seminars
• Practical sessions

Bibliography

Key references

• Ackerman-Leist, Philip (2013). Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to create local, sustainable and secure food systems. Chelsea Green Publishing.
• Benjamin, Darryl., Virkler, L (2016). Farm to Table: The essential guide to sustainable Food Systems for Students, Professionals and Consumers. Chelsea Green Publishing.
• Nestle, M (2012). Food Politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and Health (10 ed.). University of California Press.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.