You will then “drill down” and look at individual farms around the world. We will talk about how the farmers manage these farms, and why they do what they do. We will finish off with a look at the exciting new technologies that are transforming agriculture and the sustainability issues that farmers are dealing with in the 21st century.
What will you learn?
- The size of the world’s population and how quickly it is growing
- Whether more people live in cities than in rural areas and why this is important
- The quantities and types of food we produce around the world
- How food production is becoming globalised and the implications of this for farmers and consumers
- How climate, soils and fertilisers affect the way we farm
- The crucial role of soil biology in our farming systems
- How different cropping farms operate and the role of crop rotations
- The big differences between pasture based and feedlot systems of animal production
- Some of the issues associated with the intensive production of animals such as pigs and poultry
- The arguments for and against organic farming and the use of genetically modified plants and animals in agriculture
- The vast array of businesses that are associated with agriculture
- The new information technologies that are transforming the way we farm
- How agriculture can have adverse effects on the environment
- The challenges that might be posed by global climate change
If you pass this course you'll receive a Certificate of Achievement. While this certificate isn't a formal qualification or credit, you can use it to demonstrate your interest in learning about this area to potential employers or educational institutions.