NPLK14020U Sustainable Agricultural Development Pathways

The course addresses the challenge of increasing food production in developing countries, while conserving the key natural resources. In short, we need to double the food production over the next 40 years, but without increasing water, nutrient and land consumption proportionally, and with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The course addresses key resource constraints in a constructive, non-dogmatic and case-specific way. In 5 topical sessions, the course investigates Water use; Nutrients and soil quality; Breeding and GMO's; Pest and weed management; and Climate smart agriculture.
In each session, the mechanistic basis is presented, in order to understand and evaluate potential and constraints for increasing food production while conserving resources. The mechanistic base in then applied at farming system level in a series of case-specific scenarios, under varying soil, climate and socioeconomic conditions. Trade-offs and interrelationships are emphasized at the farming system level.
The course will qualify students to discuss sustainable development pathways, with a mechanistic understanding of biological and chemical processes, but applied to farming system level. The course emphasizes the diversity of farming systems, climatic and market conditions, and hence relevance of various solutions.
Students will write one individual assignment during the course, which forms 33% of the final mark.