Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems

Recommended Prerequisites

No specific requirements beyond the general requirements for admission to the course.

Teaching Methods

Intensive course with 2 weks duration. Lectures: theoretical, theoretical and practical;  Teamwork.

Learning Outcomes

Within this curricular unit students will have an introduction to agroecology and the importance of applying ecological principles to conventional farming practices, in particular the changes that must be implemented in the food systems (from production to consumption) in order to be possible to balance the conservation of natural resources and the demand for production and consumption. Students should be able to implement sustainable agricultural and productive practices, namely in the national territory and understand the main threats and challenges today.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The aim is to address sustainable practices of soil mobilization, organic agriculture and alternative systems, nutrient balance and ecological strategies, biological control, the importance of the multifunctional landscapes and environmental services, agriculture and climate change, selection of species with agronomic interest, sustainability indicators, and an introduction to the diversity of food systems. Presentation of case studies.

Head Lecturer(s)

Helena Maria de Oliveira Freitas

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 20.0%
Exam: 80.0%

Bibliography

Méndez, V. E., Bacon, C. M., Cohen, R., & Gliessman, S. R. (Eds.). (2016). Agroecology: A Transdisciplinary, Partici- patory and Action-Oriented Approach. CRC Press.

IPES-Food. (2016). From uniformity to diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems. Brussels: IPES-Food.

Retrieved from: http://www.ipes-food.org/images/Reports/UniformityToDiversity_FullReport.pdf.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2018). Catalysing dialogue and cooperation to scale up agroecology: Outcomes of the FAO regional seminars on agroecology. Rome

Wittman, H., Chappell, M. J., Abson, D. J., et al. (2017).

A social–ecological perspective on harmonizing food security and biodiversity conservation. Regional Environmental Change, 17(5), 1291-1301.  

Vandermeer, J. H. (2011). The ecology of agroecosystems. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Patel, R. (2013). The Long Green Revolution. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 40(1), 1-