Climate Change and Food Systems

University of Reading

Course Description

  • Course Name

    Climate Change and Food Systems

  • Host University

    University of Reading

  • Location

    Reading, England

  • Area of Study

    Agriculture

  • Language Level

    Taught In English

  • Course Level Recommendations

    Upper

    ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.

    Hours & Credits

  • ECTS Credits

    5
  • Recommended U.S. Semester Credits
    3
  • Recommended U.S. Quarter Units
    4

  • Overview

    Module Provider: Agriculture
    Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
    Level:6
    Terms in which taught: Spring term module
    Pre-requisites:
    Non-modular pre-requisites:
    Co-requisites:
    Modules excluded:
    Module version for: 2014/5
    Module Convenor: Dr Gillian Rose
    Email: g.rose@reading.ac.uk
    Summary module description:
    Aims:
    This module will consider how human-induced climate change may impact on global food systems. It aims to combine knowledge of the global climate system with the response of ecosystems and agricultural productivity to climate variability and change in order to provide a basis for assessing the impacts of climate change on food production within the Earth system.
    Assessable learning outcomes:
    # Achieve a broad understanding of human-induced climate change, and be able to identify aspects of climate that are important for food systems.
    # Examine the climate signal in historical, observed changes in natural and managed ecosystems, and question whether or not past trends in ecosystems can be attributed to climate change.
    # Review the ways in which climate change is portrayed in the media and understand the challenges of communicating complex science around climate-food systems interactions to the public
    # Understand methods for predicting the impacts of climate change on the productivity of agricultural systems by considering the nature of the output of global and regional climate models, and how this output can be used with agricultural models to provide predictions for seasons and decades ahead.
    # Be able to discuss and explore a range of adaptation strategies of food systems to climate change.
    # Attain a broad appreciation of the coupling of climate and ecosystems within the Earth system.
    # Appreciate how the challenges of climate change for food systems interact with global issues such as sustainable development, international trade, population increase and the intensification of agricultural systems.
    Additional outcomes:
    Be able to critically review how issues of climate change and food are conveyed in the media.
    Outline content:
    - Introduction to climate change - the climate system; observations of climate change; causes of climate change; the greenhouse effect; the IPCC; projections of future climate change on global and regional scales; sources of uncertainty (two lectures).
    - Climate and the biosphere - climate variability and historical, observed changes in natural and managed ecosystems; the phenology network; the climate signal in trends of crop yields over time; attribution of past ecosystem changes to climate change.
    - Climate and food systems in the mass media: the politics of communication around climate change; public understanding of the scientific debates and evidence; media treatments of food security issues.
    - Assessing the impacts of climate change on crops - use of climate model output; temporal and spatial scale of crop simulations; downscaling climate information; uncertainties in predictions; global and regional crop productivity under climate change; the IPCC.
    - Searching for effective communication strategies: how principles of communication for behaviour change can be applied by public, commercial and non-government organisations
    - Food production in the Earth system - the climate footprint of agriculture; impacts of land-cover/land-use changes on climate; modelling dynamic land surface-atmosphere interactions; impacts of cropping systems on biogeochemical and hydrological cycles.
    - Adaptation of global food systems to climate change - adaptation strategies at crop, farm, regional and global scales; the Stern Review on the economics of climate change 2006; sustainable development, trade and climate change.
    - A Warming Meal? - a guided discussion on climate change and food systems, exploring and integrating all the issues covered in the module, and others raised by participants.
    Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
    Contact hours:
    Spring
    Lectures 18
    Tutorials 2
    Guided independent study 80
    Total hours by term 100.00
    Total hours for module 100.00
    Summative Assessment Methods:
    Method Percentage
    Written exam 50
    Written assignment including essay 50
    Other information on summative assessment:
    A critical assessment of articles drawn from recent media coverage of climate change and food issues.
    Formative assessment methods:
    Penalties for late submission:
    The Module Convener will apply the following penalties for work submitted late, in accordance with the University policy.
    where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar week after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for the piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
    where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.
    You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.
    Length of examination:
    A one and a half hour paper requiring the answers to two questions from four provided.
    Requirements for a pass:
    A mark of 40% overall.
    Reassessment arrangements:
    By Re-examination in August/September.
    Last updated: 8 October 2014

Course Disclaimer

Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.

Some courses may require additional fees.

Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.

Please reference fall and spring course lists as not all courses are taught during both semesters.

Please note that some courses with locals have recommended prerequisite courses. It is the student's responsibility to consult any recommended prerequisites prior to enrolling in their course.

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