Developing sustainable systems of food production for a growing human population is one of the main challenges facing our societies in the 21st century. To deliver this challenge high-level skills for the agri-food industry are in high demand. An MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security aims to train students from a range of backgrounds to gain a systemic understanding of methods used in contemporary agriculture, and a critical awareness of new insights into how to make agriculture sustainable.
| Study this subject here: |
| University of East Anglia |
| Scottish Agricultural College |
MSc courses in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security provide training for students who wish to undertake a further degree towards a career in the agri-food industry. The agri-food industry can significantly contribute to solving one of the main challenges facing our society in this century. In particular, the production of more food to meet the expanding world population in environmentally sustainable ways, while adapting agricultural production to climate change and increasingly limited resources such as water and fertilizers, will require a radical adaptation of agricultural production systems in the UK and worldwide. Every step of the agricultural supply chain must be adapted to achieve sustainable intensification of production, from managing ecosystems, to new mechanisation and harvesting technologies, to breeding more resilient and productive crops. These radical adaptations of agricultural production systems require higher levels of a wider variety of technical skills and an awareness of the interdependence of agriculture and food production on biodiversity, human health and the landscape. The demand for these skills was outlined in recent reports such as the Food Research Partnership skills sub-group (‘High-level Skills for Food’), the Royal Society ‘Reaping the Benefits’ and the ‘Global Food and Farming Future’ from the Department for Business. Courses in sustainable agriculture and food security that address this skill shortage have now been developed and are run by staff from universities, agricultural colleges, research institutes, and employer organisations.
To study sustainable agriculture and food security a student would need a clear interest in systems of food production and be enthusiastic about a range of disciplines. Programmes are open to students with a good degree in biological, environmental sciences, or a non-related subject such as finance, law, history, who want to move into careers where a knowledge of sustainable agriculture and food security is important. Equivalent qualifications, including work experience mainly for mature entrants, may be considered.
Courses address local, national, and international concerns for food production and aim to teach students how to contribute in solving these issues. The content of graduate courses is carefully designed to match the requirements of potential employers following consultation with partners from the agri-food industry. Students will acquire a systemic understanding of methods used in contemporary agriculture, alongside a critical awareness of new insights into how to make agriculture sustainable. In addition, students will further develop their existing transferable skills including scientific writing and communication, problem solving, self-management, team working, application of IT, and time management. All of these skills will contribute to the future employability of graduates from this course.
A Masters in sustainable agriculture and food safety will involve lectures and exams with coursework including visits to a range of food-production companies and research institutes. Students will usually undertake a research project in an area relevant to sustainable agriculture and food production. They will be taught how to design and manage a research project, with a specific emphasis on how to use software tools for project management.
A graduate qualification in sustainable agriculture and food security is highly valued in the agri-food industry. Alternatively, graduate skills will enable possible progression to a research career as PhD candidates or research assistantship in research active companies, institutes and universities.
With thanks to:
Dr Stephanie Swarbreck
School of Biological Sciences
University of East Anglia
