Sustainable Agricultural Systems

The sustainability of agri-food systems is examined in this course from a complex systems and value-chain perspective. The course will evaluate agricultural systems in Australia and internationally at a local, national and global scale. Production systems are placed within the broader social, cultural and economic contexts in which they operate, with students using interdisciplinary approaches to explore topics including the role of family farming and corporate agri-business, consumer demand and marketing, research, development and technology, international trade and rural policy. Students will gain an understanding of the inter-dependencies between rural livelihoods, sustainability, food security, adaptation, sustainable intensification and the incentives and barriers to change along the value-chain and in the broader agri-food system. The course includes real world case studies from farming and food industry enterprises to provide first-hand experience and application of your learning.