Grand Challenges: Food for Thought (FutureLearn)

Grand Challenges: Food for Thought (FutureLearn)

Where does our food come from and what impact does it have on our environment? Our demand for food from natural systems is changing the world we live in from the soil beneath our feet to the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. Unsustainable practices of production (overfishing or monoculture) and consumerism are to blame.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Widely publicised examples include mere decades of soil fertility for crop growth and drastic declines in pollinating insects. This course aims to educate you in the way that every human being can reduce their impact on our planet and inspire you to make global connections to tackle sustainability issues.

What topics will you cover?

  • The pillars of sustainability
  • Environmental impacts of food production
  • Exploitation of the sea
  • Case studies on the production of Bananas, Coffee and Palm Oil
  • Importance of pollinators

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Describe the term 'sustainability' in the context of food production
  • Explain the 'Pillars of Sustainability' model
  • Compare and contrast the sustainability of global coffee, palm oil and banana industries
  • Reflect on the importance of pollinators in relation to food production
  • Investigate the food available from your local area and contrast with your weekly shop
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Planet Earth: Understanding and Protecting our Environment (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Planet Earth: Understanding and Protecting our Environment (FutureLearn)

Learn about the physical geography of Earth and discover how to use this knowledge to protect our natural environment. Discover the Earth’s natural systems and how human activity affects them. On this two-week course from the University of Leeds, you will discover the processes of the hydrosphere, the geosphere, and the biosphere and explore the impact of human activity and climate change on our planet.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: The Global Standard for Assessing Risks to Ecosystems (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Deakin University

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems: The Global Standard for Assessing Risks to Ecosystems (FutureLearn)

This course introduces the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and its successful use and policy impact through real-world case studies. Learn how the Red List of Ecosystems is helping to sustain global biodiversity. Nature is under threat around the world. Understanding where ecosystems are at greatest risk allows us to act to sustain species and ecosystems.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow,CIVIS

Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn)

Explore climate change issues from an interdisciplinary perspective to find innovative solutions for a better future. Gain interdisciplinary skills for climate change solutions. On this four-week course, you’ll join educators from ten universities on a virtual field trip to a remote Swedish island to gain perspectives on climate and energy from a multitude of disciplines.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Transforming Urban Mobility: Components of Transport Planning for Sustainable Cities (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London,Transforming Urban Mobility Initiative - TUMI,GIZ

Transforming Urban Mobility: Components of Transport Planning for Sustainable Cities (FutureLearn)

Examine how different types of public transport can be employed to make urban transport more sustainable. Discover how urban transport can be made more sustainable. Good transport systems and projects are critical to the development of sustainable cities. On this course, you’ll consider the Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) framework – particularly the ‘Shift’ and ‘Improve’ dimensions – as key components of a sustainable urban mobility strategy.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Groningen,Global Center on Adaptation

Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change (FutureLearn)

Explore how adaptive governance could help policymakers plan for and manage sudden environmental changes. Learn the governance tools to respond to climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governing bodies across the globe. On this course, you will be introduced to climate science, the societal effects of climate change, and the responses already available in the form of climate adaptation.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Unleash Your Potential: Sustainable Futures (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Bristol

Unleash Your Potential: Sustainable Futures (FutureLearn)

Learn about the sustainability challenges of the modern world, and make a positive contribution to society. Find out how to deal with world sustainability issues. United Nations (UN) countries have adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. On this online course, you’ll learn about these UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the different roles people can play in creating a sustainable future.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Environmental Challenges: Justice in Natural Resource Management (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Justice in Natural Resource Management (FutureLearn)

How do we ensure that the difficult decisions about the management of natural resources are just and fair for all? When looking at different societies and cultures around the world, it is interesting how ubiquitous the principles of justice are. It is part of our human nature to think about equality, and consider fairness as something that we do naturally. However, in practical terms, equality is hard to achieve.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Educating for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Schools and Universities (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

Educating for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Schools and Universities (FutureLearn)

Explore the global challenges facing sustainable development worldwide and how to introduce them in schools and HE institutions. Develop the skills to examine sustainable development with all learners. As part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, schools and universities have a responsibility to educate all learners on sustainability. On this three-week course, you’ll gain an overview of the key issues relating to sustainability and how to deliver this knowledge, whether you teach in schools or higher education.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
MINCA,Hands of Honour

Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn)

Explore the concept of upcycling, its link to sustainable development, and how you can start your own upcycling business. Understand upcycling, how to make upcycling products and start up a company. Have you ever turned unwanted objects or waste materials into entirely new products? Upcycling is the ideal way to combine creative ideas with a passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Malaya

Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn)

Discover how religion, particularly Islamic teachings, and scientific knowledge can work together towards sustainable solutions. Use a blend of religion and science to explore sustainability. Sustainable Development is one of the most comprehensive worldwide concepts today in the quest to safeguard the environment. This principle of sustainability has been discovered to be intrinsically linked to the concept of Shariah, which emphasises the importance of continuity not just in this world, but also in the afterlife.

Self Paced
3 Weeks