Farm to Fork: Sustainable Food Production in a Changing Environment
Understand how food goes from farm to fork: explore food security, supply chains, food production and agriculture.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Farm to Fork: Sustainable Food Production in a Changing Environment
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
Discover food supply chains from farm to fork
Please note this course runs without facilitation
How does food reach our plates? How is the food industry changing? What threats are there to food supply chains? How can we build a sustainable food industry?
Get answers to these questions and more with this course that explores food and agriculture in the modern world. You will learn about the complexity of the global food supply chain, the vulnerability of the food industry to emerging threats and the solutions to stopping these threats early. You will also consider the issues surrounding production of food of animal origin.
Syllabus
Week 1
Water, Soil and Plant Health
Welcome to the Course
Welcome to the course 'Farm to Fork: Sustainable Food Production in a Changing Environment'. Here you will meet the team who you will learn with. This includes staff from the University of Turin, and Queen's University, Belfast.
Soil Health
The main soil pollutants that affect animal production are explored here - including metals, microbes, parasites and drug residues.
Water Health
Water health and the impact it has on the food chain is discussed in this section. You will discuss the emerging concerns around two important case studies on water contamination and microplastics.
Plant Health
Plant health and the impact it has on the food chain is discussed in this section. You will discuss the two important case studies on ergot's and aflatoxin's in wheat; and gain an understanding of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Summary
To end the first week we have a quiz for you to complete and a final discussion with educators for some final reflection.
Week 2
Animal Health and Welfare
Welcome to Week 2
In week 2 we will focus on the importance of animal health and welfare.You will be introduced to more case studies provided by your Educators and AIA (associazione Italiana Allevatori) and you will discuss key relevant issues.
Animal Feed
Animal nutrition is a key point in the farming management. Here we highlight the impact of feed on animal welfare and on the production of food from animal origin.
Prevention and Biosecurity
Each step of the supply chain has to be controlled in order to ensure the safety of your food. Here you will see how this is implemented everyday.
Animal Welfare
In this section you will see why animal welfare matters.
Summary
To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learned about the important topic of animal welfare in food production.
Week 3
Food Safety and Human Health
Welcome to Week 3
In week 3 we will explore how food contaminants and pathogens are controlled in the food supply chain.
Control of Contaminants and Drug Residues in Food
Contaminants are substances that have not been intentionally added to food. Here we explore some of the measures which exist to minimise contaminants in foodstuffs.
Ensuring Pathogen Free Food
Pathogens in food include bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms in food that can cause foodborne illness. In the this section we will explore the efforts made to ensure pathogen free food.
Monitoring
Food analytical methods have developed in response to emerging food safety issues. In this section we will explore some of the innovative methods used for the monitoring of food safety and quality.
Summary
To end the week please try the quiz to see what you have learned about food contaminants, pathogens and analytical methods.
Week 4
Climate Change and Food Security
Welcome to Week 4
In week 4 we will look at how climate change represents a major threat to global food security. We will consider the potential effects it may have on soil, water, plant and animal health.
Climate Change
Before we can look at the potential risk to food security we must begin by exploring the evidence for climate change.
Climate Change and Soil Health
The potential effects climate change may have on soil health.
Climate Change and Water Health
The potential effects climate change may have on water health.
Climate Change and Plant Health
The potential effect of climate change on plant health.
Climate Change and Animal Health
The potential effect of climate change on animal health is discussed in this section.
Summary
You have completed the final week of this course on sustainable food production in a changing environment. It is time to reflect on what you have learnt.
Who is this accredited by?
The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Discuss the interconnected one health approach to food production from farm to fork
- Illustrate knowledge and skills required to evaluate current and emerging risks to food safety and relate these to potential threats to human/animal health and global food security highlighting solutions to the issues
- Demonstrate the ability to critically assess the range of emerging risks that may be introduced during food production and manufacture systems and determine their potential impact on food safety and consumer health
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the range and types of food insecurity affecting food safety, traceability and authenticity, and the regulatory requirements and challenges to the maintenance of food quality/safety
- Examine the ethical & bioethical constraints of the food chain: at the crossroads of objects, subjects, regulations, institutions & governments
- Encourage pursuit of a career in research, industry or entrepreneurship related to the food industry sector by showcasing the rising star companies.
Who is the course for?
This course is for people looking for an introduction to food supply chains and the future of agriculture - it’s ideal for students and young people looking to learn more about careers in the food industry.
The Educators won’t be able to join the discussions themselves or respond to individual comments, but the course encourages a strong learning community. The learning is focused around debate and discussion – supporting other learners, sharing your own experience and knowledge, and listening to new perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy interacting with and learning from each other in this way. Don’t forget to comment, reply to other learners and ‘like’ comments.
What do people say about this course?
I enjoyed the variety of resources in the course!
"I enjoyed the variety of resources in the course and now know where I can get further information. I've learned lots about the threats to food production."
Who will you learn with?
At the Dept of Veterinary Sciences, I study how natural/pollutants estrogen-mimicking compounds in the feed may affect the brain development and decrease fertility, meat quality, and animal welfare
DVM, Assistant Professor at the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin, Italy.
Research field: Food Safety
I am vet, working as a researcher at the Dept. of Veterinary Sciences - University of Torino. My field is the study of contaminant and drug residues in food of animal origin.
I'm Biologist and PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology. I teach in the Department of Veterinary Science of Turin. My scientific interests deal with food safety related to drugs and contaminants.
Dr Katrina Campbell is a Reader within the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University Belfast. Her research monitors food safety threats and effects from environment to farm to fork.
Michaela is a Lecturer in Education working on the development of EITFOOD education programmes. Her background is in food science and research at the Institute for Global Food Security.
Who developed the course?
EIT Food
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.
Queen's University Belfast
Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities.
University of Turin
The University of Turin is one of the largest and most prestigious Italian universities, with about 70,000 students, 4,000 employees, and 1,800 research fellows, encompassing all academic sectors.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
This activity has received funding from EIT Food, the innovation community on Food of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, under the Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Supporters
content provided by
content provided by
content provided by
Join this course
Free
Join free and you will get:
- Access to this course for 6 weeks
Upgrade
Upgrade this course and you will get:
- Access to this course for as long as it’s on FutureLearn
- A print and digital Certificate of Achievement once you’re eligible
Unlimited
Buy Unlimited and you will get:
- Access to this course, and hundreds of other FutureLearn short courses and tests for a year
- A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once you’re eligible
- The freedom to keep access to any course you've achieved a digital Certificate of Achievement on, for as long as the course exists on FutureLearn
- The flexibility to complete your choice of short courses in your own time within the year
Find out more about upgrades or Unlimited.
Available until 22 November 2021 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #FLfarmtofork to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in Nature & Environment