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Future Food

Sustainable Food Systems for the 21st Century

Natalia Lawrence, Dan Bebber, and Bethan Stagg

Diets and Health Impacts of Production Food Security Food Governance Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more The course is designed for anyone interested in food sustainability. You can use the hashtag #FLFutureFood to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

Changing food cultures
Diets for personal and planetary health
The drivers of eating behaviour
How crops have changed the planet
Over-fishing and fisheries
Livestock farming and the environment
Adapting to climate change
Conserving our soils
Novel technologies
Empowering farmers and smallholders
Food as a commodity
Ecosystem services

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive food systems introduction

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive and comprehensive overview of sustainable food systems. Many find the instructors engaging and passionate, making complex topics accessible. It is widely praised for its broad coverage, touching on vital areas like diets, health, production impacts, and governance, which many describe as eye-opening and highly relevant. While ideal for beginners and lifelong learners, some students with prior knowledge felt the content could lack depth in certain specialized areas, noting it functions more as an introduction than an advanced study. The course inspires students to consider personal consumption habits and broader global challenges.

Forum discussions are either insightful or occasionally unmoderated.

"The discussions in the forum were also very insightful."

"The forum discussions were sometimes chaotic and unmoderated."

"The discussions were good, though sometimes slow."

Course content is eye-opening and inspires change in perspectives.

"Loved this course! It opened my eyes to so many issues I wasn't aware of regarding food."

"This course is essential for anyone wanting to understand the future of food. It's very current and relevant."

"The content on livestock and fisheries was very eye-opening."

Instructors are highly praised for passion, clarity, and expertise.

"The lecturers were engaging and the topics were very well-researched."

"The instructors were passionate and made complex topics easy to understand."

"The instructors clearly know their stuff."

Provides a wide-ranging, accessible introduction to food systems.

"An excellent course that provided a really broad overview of food systems."

"A solid introduction to sustainable food systems. It covers a lot of ground..."

"It's great for raising awareness and serves its purpose well for an introduction."

Some learners desired more real-world case studies and practical application.

"I wished there were more practical examples or case studies rather than just theoretical discussions."

"It felt like a collection of facts rather than a cohesive learning experience."

May be too basic for those with prior expertise in the subject.

"I found some of the content a bit basic, as I already work in agriculture."

"The course content was okay, but I felt it lacked depth in certain areas. It's more of an introductory overview."

"Good for absolute beginners, but not for someone with prior knowledge."

Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Future Food: Sustainable Food Systems for the 21st Century. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

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Learners who complete Future Food: Sustainable Food Systems for the 21st Century will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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