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Unit of Study ENV10702 - Food Ecology (2017)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Provides a sociological and ecological outlook of the food system in examining the what, the why and how we eat. It considers the interconnections between food production, its consumption and food sustainability through historical, sociocultural, economic, political, philosophical, technological and environmental perspectives. A range of issues related to the current food system, its potential to impact human health, and the future of food are critically explored.

Unit content

What's on the Menu

Topic 1:  Why study food ecology through a ‘food systems’ landscape?
Topic 2:  What, why and how we eat: Historical influences
Topic 3:  What, why and how we eat: Sociological influences
Topic 4:  The food system: Introduction and contemporary challenges

  • Food security
  • Nutrition in global transition
  • Resources for food production
  • Global food crisis

Topic 5:  From paddock to plate and beyond:

  • The business of food
  • Food production systems
  • Food processing industries
  • Power of agribusiness and supermarkets
  • Food trade
  • Food waste
  • Environmental impacts

Topic 6:  The future of food: Alternative solutions to contemporary mainstream practices
Topic 7:  Industrialisation of food: Transformations of the food supply
Topic 8:  Industrialisation of food: Transition to a third food regime
Topic 9:  The food system and its influence on consumption and human and environmental health
Topic 10: How to conduct a literature search and be a critical reader

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2017

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 Describe the historical relationship between the food system, from the Hunter-gatherers to modern day, and the evolution of the human food supply.
2 Explain personal, sociological (e.g. sociocultural, political, economic, philosophical) and environmental factors that influence food consumption, diet and lifestyle.
3 Describe the food system in terms of its complexity, sustainability and the contemporary challenges it faces.
4 Discuss the relationship between food production, its distribution and supply, and the environmental, technological, economic, political and sociological landscapes.
5 Discuss how aspects of the food system (e.g. food processing, retailing, mass media, food policy) have the potential to influence food consumption and human health.
6 Discuss the future of food in the context of the food system.
7 Conduct a search of credible information sources, and to critically interpret, synthesise and communicate this information in writing and as an oral presentation.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Describe the historical relationship between the food system, from the Hunter-gatherers to modern day, and the evolution of the human food supply.
    • GA4:
  2. Explain personal, sociological (e.g. sociocultural, political, economic, philosophical) and environmental factors that influence food consumption, diet and lifestyle.
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  3. Describe the food system in terms of its complexity, sustainability and the contemporary challenges it faces.
    • GA4:
  4. Discuss the relationship between food production, its distribution and supply, and the environmental, technological, economic, political and sociological landscapes.
    • GA4:
  5. Discuss how aspects of the food system (e.g. food processing, retailing, mass media, food policy) have the potential to influence food consumption and human health.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
  6. Discuss the future of food in the context of the food system.
    • GA4:
  7. Conduct a search of credible information sources, and to critically interpret, synthesise and communicate this information in writing and as an oral presentation.
    • GA5:
    • GA6: