212-417 Global Environment and Food Systems

Availability

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

None

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

On completion of this subject students should be able to recognise that the response of a stakeholder to environment and sustainable food systems may be influenced by regional and global issues; and be able to appreciate the perspectives of different stakeholders and their role in the solution to problems associated with environment and sustainable food systems.

Case studies will be presented in topical areas of environment and sustainable food systems by the participating institutions. Content will vary depending on the institution involved but will cover issues such as population demographics, ecotourism, waste management, biodiversity, biotechnology and dryland agriculture. The student will become part of a global classroom as a member of a group formed from students at each university and facilitated by postings to discussion forums and construction of websites on the Internet. Each group will take, in turn, a particular perspective to be addressed during the seminars: social/cultural, political, technical, environmental, ethical/philosophical. Thus after six seminars each group will have tackled a topic from one of the above perspectives. Compressed video and other technologies are used to present case study material and the global seminar.

Assessment

The major assessment tasks are a report of not more than 7000 words and a seminar on the group project relating to an aspect of the seminar series. Marks will be allocated for attendance and active participation in each of the live broadcasts and postings to discussion forums.