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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Klaus Schläppi (klaus.schlaeppi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Course Contents: Future society has to feed nine billion people, therefore agriculture but also food, waste and resource management has to go hand in hand in the use of less resources. We will discuss current research in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus will be on: (1) Research in agro-ecological systems. Can we transform the impact of our agricultural practices below the planetary boundaries? Where does current research indicate on directions for a transformation of current practice? (2) Building sustainable food systems: How could local food systems be build and scaled up? The course will be organized with two workshops (half days, 14:00 - 18:00) and an self-study/ group work phase in between the workshops. Case studies will include: • Case Study 1: How can Swiss farmers move to zero environmental impact? • Case Study 2: What influence do the consumers in developed (importing) countries have on sustainability of (mainly) small-holder farming in the developing (sourcing) countries? • Case Study 3: Sensor based fertilization techniques for sustainability? • Case Study 4: The sustainable development goals (SDG) and sustainable urban food systems. |
| Learning objectives | Participants will be able to: (1) Review issues of sustainability in the context of plant science research and literature on sustainable agriculture and the food system. (2) Analyze and interact on several case studies on agro-ecology and the food system. |
| Bibliography | Online learning material is provided on: - Nitrogen supply in tropical low input conservation agriculture - Nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture - Role of vascular plants in methane emissions from soil - Mycorrhizal symbioses for soil nutrient management in agro-ecosystems |
| Comments | Lecturers: Franz Bender (Agroscope), Frank Liebisch (Agroscope), G. Singh Bhullar (FIBL), Melanie Paschke (ETHZ) |
| Weblink | http://www.plantsciences.uzh.ch |
| Admission requirements | For MSc and PhD students of ETH Zurich, University of Zurich and University of Basel. |
| Course application | In addition to the regular course registration on MoNA, students are requested to register through the PSC course registration platform for this course (see weblink). The course registration will open on 1st July. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, optional |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
| Comments | October 25 & December 7, 2023 (14:00 – 18:00) at ETHZ, rooms tba |
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Courses: Master's Studies Plant Science (Master's Studies: Plant Science) Doctorate Botany: Recommendations (PhD subject: Botany) Module Specialisation: Molecular Biology (Master's Studies: Nanosciences) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Students will actively participate during the two afternoons with presentations on the second afternoon (8 hours). In between the will independently work in the online course with assignments to be handed in and they will in groups prepare a presentation and essay on a sustainability topic (52 hours). |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Science, studiendekanat-philnat@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Integrative Biologie |