Tackling the Global Food Crisis: Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Queen's University Belfast

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Start Date: 11 Jan, 2016
4 weeks
Study Content: Videos

This course looks at food insecurity and the challenges to be overcome in order to maintain healthy and sustainable food supplies.

Course Fee: Free

Certificate Cost: See Fees and Eligibility

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Introduction

Introduction Video

Course Description

This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.

This is the second course in a two-part series by Queen’s University Belfast looking at issues concerning the maintenance and enhancement of global food supplies, whilst improving human wellbeing in the developed and developing world.

This course will focus on threats to global food security and the challenges that need to be overcome, in order to maintain healthy and sustainable food supplies.

The course will begin by looking at global food insecurity and the potential consequences for human health. Examining links between food insecurity and the rising tide of metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases around the globe, it will demonstrate how the issue is particularly relevant in the developed world.

It will continue on to examine threats to global food security posed by parasites, which undermine the health of animals and plants, damaging food production systems globally. Having considered threats to global food security the course will look at approaches to sustaining healthy agri-food systems such as the benefits of applied genetics for fisheries management and aquaculture.

The course will conclude by considering societal concerns around animal welfare, as pressure builds to increase production intensity whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Using cutting edge research undertaken by the Institute of Global Food Security (IGFS) the course will illustrate how aspects of the global food crisis might be addressed, in order to sustain and manage healthy food systems into the future.

The course is led by Professor Chris Elliott, who wrote the UK government review on the recent horsemeat scandal. To find out more, read Chris’s post for our blog: “The many faces of the global food crisis.”

Please note that the first course in this series, Tackling the Global Food Crisis: Supply Chain Integrity is NOT a pre-requisite for taking this course.

This course is open to all but also includes research techniques and methodologies which may require a prior grounding in the biological sciences in order to fully engage. There are no specific requirements, however some content may be presented using third party applications and services such as Storify, Storee, and Flickr.

This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn.

Please note that, should you choose to purchase a Certificate of Achievement or a Statement of Participation, you will be re-directed to the FutureLearn for processing.

The following information is from the Future Learn website:

What is a Certificate of Achievement?

A Certificate of Achievement is a valuable certificate to prove what you’ve learned on your course.

Your Certificate will include your name; an outline of what you’ve learned and how long it took; the logos of the university and other organisations associated with your course. Your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.

In addition to the digital and printed certificate, you will receive a detailed transcript of what you’ve learned, how long it took and your average test score (if your course contained tests).

You can view our page about Certificates of Achievement to see what they look like.

How do I qualify for a Certificate of Achievement?

To be eligible to buy a Certificate of Achievement, you must:

complete 90% of the steps in a course (by using the “Mark as complete” button on each step),
attempt every test question in the course,
score over 70% on average across all course tests.

How do I buy a Certificate of Achievement?

If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Certificate of Achievement, once you’re eligible for one.

How much does a Certificate of Achievement cost?

The cost of the Certificate of Achievement varies depending on the course. They normally cost from £39.00 (GBP) to £59.00 (GBP) + shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed certificate and transcript, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.

What if I don’t qualify to buy a Certificate of Achievement?

If you don’t qualify to buy a Certificate of Achievement because your test score does not meet the 70% pass threshold, you have a couple of options. You will still be able to purchase a Statement of Participation for the course, or you could join a later run of the course. Unfortunately it is not possible to retake tests in FutureLearn courses.

What is a Statement of Participation?

A Statement of Participation is a collectable printed and digital record that you can buy, to show that you’ve taken part in a FutureLearn course. Statements are available for the vast majority of FutureLearn courses in both digital and printed formats. You can view our page about Statements of Participation to see what they look like.

Your Statement will include your name; a short summary of the course and how long it took; the logo of the university and other organisations associated with your course. In addition, your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.

Your Statement will confirm that you’ve completed the majority of steps in a course and attempted all test questions, but it will not show your individual level of completion or your test scores.

How do I qualify for a Statement of Participation?

To be eligible to buy a Statement of Participation, you must complete over half of the steps in a course (by using the “Mark as complete” button on each step) and attempt all test questions.

How do I buy a Statement of Participation?

If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Statement of Participation, once you’re eligible for one.

To be eligible, you must complete the majority of steps in the course and attempt all test questions. You can check how close you are to being eligible on your course progress page.

How much does a Statement of Participation cost?

The cost of a Statement of Participation varies depending on the course. They cost from at £19.00 (GBP) to £34.00 (GBP) plus shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed version, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.

For more information on Fees and Eligibility, please feel free to consult the Frequently Asked Questions:

If you do not find an answer to your question, you can also contact FutureLearn directly via email, at: feedback@futurelearn.com

The information provided was current as of 22 September 2016. Please visit Certificates and Statements to check for changes.

Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.

This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn. To go directly to a specific Category of Frequently Asked Questions, please feel free to click on any of the links below (you will be redirected to the FutureLearn website):

Queen's University Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities.

A dynamic and innovative 21st century institution, it has gained global recognition for the impact of its research and education and has won five Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Further and Higher Education – for world-class achievement in cancer research, green chemistry, environmental research, palaeoecology and law.

In the top 1% of Universities in the World (QS World rankings 2013)
Ranked 12 in the UK for student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2013)
‘Students taught by world-leading academics’ (Guardian University Guide 2013)
Ranked 26 in the UK; “Queen’s enjoys a reputation as Ireland’s Oxbridge” (Sunday Times University Guide 2013)
Belfast: one of the world’s top 10 destinations (National Geographic Traveler 2012)

Four prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Awards further recognise the University’s contribution to society. Queen’s received the award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts in 2008, was awarded the title of the UK’s Entrepreneurial University of the Year in 2009, the Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year in 2010 and Most Innovative Teacher of the Year in 2011.

Founded as Queen’s College in 1845, Queen’s became a university in its own right in 1908, An international centre of research and education rooted at the heart of Northern Ireland, it offers a life-changing student experience to students from more than 80 countries. Queen’s is a magnet for inward investment, a patron of the arts and a global player in areas ranging from cancer studies to sustainability, and from pharmaceuticals to creative writing.

Queen’s is currently creating a new Institute of Health Sciences campus where several dedicated, high quality research centres are focused on cancer, infectious disease, public health and population genetics. Committed to helping overcome some of the major health problems of our time, Queen’s has already invested over £90 million in the area, with a further £85 million expenditure anticipated over the next five years in academic leadership, research, buildings, equipment and facilities.

A degree with a plus

Employability skills are heavily embedded into the Queen’s curriculum. Careers guidance and information are incorporated into School-level induction programmes. Queen’s Degree Plus Award initiative offers students a competitive edge in the graduate job market. This innovative programme acknowledges skills acquired through participation in voluntary work, part-time jobs, and sport, which are attractive to potential employers.

World-class facilities

Queen’s has recently invested £259 million in its staff, students and infrastructure to provide some of the best campus facilities in the UK and Ireland. These include the magnificent McClay Library, one of the finest libraries in the world and home to 1.2 million volumes and 2,000 reader places. Other projects include the development of the Elms Student Village, an extensive refurbishment of the Students’ Union and a state-of-the-art Physical Education Centre.

This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with FutureLearn.

You may be able to download course materials after enrolling in this course. If not, all of the necessary course materials provided by the course instructor will be available on the provider's course page.

COLLABORATION POLICY

By enrolling in a course on or through eLearnAfrica, you are joining a special worldwide community of learners. The aspiration of eLearnAfrica is to provide anyone with an internet connection access to courses from the best universities and institutions in the world and to provide our learners the best educational experience internet technology enables. You are a part of the community that will help eLearnAfrica achieve this goal. eLearnAfrica depends upon your motivation to learn the material and to do so with honesty and academic integrity. In order to participate in eLearnAfrica, you must agree to the Honor Code below and any additional terms specific to a class.

ELEARNAFRICA HONOR CODE PLEDGE

By enrolling in a course, program, or degree hosted on the eLearnAfrica App or Site, I agree that I will:

Complete all tests and assignments on my own, unless collaboration on an assignment is explicitly permitted.
Maintain only one user account and not let anyone else use my username and/or password.
Not engage in any activity that would dishonestly improve my results, or improve or hurt the results of others.
Not post answers to problems that are being used to assess student performance.
Abide by any and all requirements of the eLearnAfrica Participants as may regard the expectations of civil or academic behavior or of community standards.

VIOLATIONS

If you are found in violation of the Terms and Conditions or Honor Code, you may be subject to one or more of the following actions:

Receiving a zero or no credit for an assignment;
Having any certificate earned in the course withheld or revoked;
Being unenrolled from a course, learning program or degree program; or
Termination of your use of the App and/or Site.
Additional actions may be taken at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica and eLearnAfrica course providers.

No refunds will be issued in the case of any corrective action for such violations.

Honor code violations will be determined at the sole discretion of eLearnAfrica, the Partners, or Members. You will be notified if a determination has been made that you have violated this honor code and you will be informed of the corresponding action to be taken as a result of the violation.

CHANGING THE HONOR CODE

Please note that we review and may make changes to this Honor Code from time to time. Any changes to this Honor Code will be effective immediately upon posting on this page, with an updated effective date. By accessing the App and/or Site after any changes have been made, you signify your agreement on a prospective basis to the modified Honor Code and any changes contained therein. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Honor Code.

Effective Date: September 22, 2016