ENVS6012 Sustainable Systems: Rural

Offered By	Fenner School of Environment and Society
Academic Career	Graduate Coursework
Course Subject	Environmental Science
Offered in	Second Semester, 2013
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	Biennial course. Offered in 2011. Not offered in 2012. The course focuses on the sustainability of the human food chain in industrial and non-industrial systems. An agroecological and a systems thinking approach will be taken to the production, transport, storage and manufacturing of food, fibre and water in agricultural processes. Topics will address the ecological and social processes and problems of different farming strategies including fertility management and nutrient cycling, pest and disease control and bio-mimicry, monoculture versus polycultures, input replacement and system redesign, genetic engineering and petro-chemical dependency, product preservation and processing. Production issues will be integrated into the broader social, cultural and economic contexts of family farming and agri-business, consumer demand and marketing, international trade and rural policy. Examples will be drawn from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, North America and the European Union. The course will include fieldwork with farm and food industry enterprises. Attendance on field trips is a course requirement
Learning Outcomes	On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to: apply key concepts in Human Ecology to the rural environment, and communicate these to a range of audiences describe the ecosystem services provided by modern rural systems explain material and energy flows of rural industries, including food and water, and carry out a food systems analysis of a chosen commodity or production system. describe constraints and opportunities for future sustainable non-urban living. To be able to engage in both a theory and practice approach to regional, national and global world policy settings.
Indicative Assessment	Presentation (20%) practical report (20%) major field research report (40%) a short paper on the nature of ‘sustainable agriculture' (20%)
Workload	65 contact hours contact comprising lectures, practicals and fieldwork in a semi-intensive mode over 9 weeks of second semester.
Course Classification(s)	AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs.
Areas of Interest	Environmental Studies, Geography, Human Ecology, Interdisciplinary Studies - Sustainability, Policy Studies, and Resource Management and Environmental Science
Eligibility	Bachelor degree
Requisite Statement	ENVS6020 recommended. No specific knowledge required.
Incompatibility	with ENVS6001 or SRES6012
Preliminary Reading	Gliessman, S., 2007, Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems. CRC Press 2nd edition.
Programs	Master of Environment and Master of Environment
Academic Contact	Elizabeth Clarke and David Pearson

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