Objectives and competences

This 2nd year UC takes place during the 1st Semester of the Degree in Nutritional Sci. and aims to enable students to reflect on pressing and current issues in the area of sustainability throughout the food production chain and their impact on the construction of balanced and sustainable food models. To this end, the UC will provide knowledge and will encourage reflection on current agricultural and food production practices and alternative, more sustainable ways of restructuring, understanding inherent concepts that may help minimize the risks of food waste, while introducing value in the production chains; it also aims to raise awareness on responsible consumption, the reduction of emissions through more sustainable diets; and reflecting on realigning support for social and innovation initiatives. This UC aims to provide a set of holistic skills from farm to fork to understand the production process to the final consumption, articulating with the formulation of dietary recommendations.

Teaching Methodologies

The UC is organized in theoretical classes (T)-12h of an expository character; 6 hours of theoretical-practical classes (TP), 6h of seminars (S), 9 hours of Tutorial Orientation (OT) and 3h of Laboratory work (PL). TP classes will introduce the practical topics that students will be invited to work in the form of OT and will be able to take up case studies and include study visits. The seminar will be subordinated to emerging and current themes in the area of agricultural production, environmental, social and food sustainability, and for this purpose the UC will count on the collaboration of researchers and/or professionals in the area, which will be invited to participate. There will be a practical class (kitchen Lab) on the theme of food waste.

Syllabus

1. Fundamental concepts of environmental, food and social sustainability and SDGs (including an integrated vision of agriculture and its multifunctionality, sustainable production, biodiversity and sovereignty)
2. Impact of food production types and climate change on the nutritional value of food (organic farming systems, Traditional and industrial farming, Sustainable farming systems, permaculture, precision farming, forestry, importance of “Community Supported Agriculture”, and legumes as case study of sustainable agro systems
3. Animal and fish production: more sustainable forms of production
4. Sustainable dietary pattern (SDP): definition, characteristics and suitability in different populations/illness/life cycle. Challenges and assessment methodologies.
5. Sustainable food consumption. Impact of food item/diet in sustainability, environmental pressure and in food waste
6. Planning sustainable menus and dietetic strategies (food innovation and alternatives).
7. Seminars on pressing topics