Challenges and Innovation in Food and Water Security

Feeding the Billions: Challenges and Innovation in Food and Water Security

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In this course you examine a range of approaches towards food and water security, from international policy agreements to community-based activities.

Course description

There are 8.0 billion people to feed today, and this number is expected to increase to about 10 billion by 2050. More food is needed, and more food means more water for crops and livestock to grow.

This course is evidence-based and addresses food and water challenges and innovative interventions from various disciplinary perspectives and socio-cultural contexts, using real-life examples. Interactive theoretical lecture sessions are alternated with debates, group work and a field visit. Students will benefit from discussions with their peers from different disciplinary backgrounds and countries of origin. At least five of the following topics will be covered:

• Drivers of food and water security

• Food systems and trans-disciplinary research

• Water management in flood-prone areas and water-scarce areas

• Food (and water) prices and food economics

• Innovative interventions to feed the world more sustainably

We bring practice to the classroom by using real-life examples from the Netherlands and from projects in Africa and Southeast Asia. Assessment is based on student participation in an in-class debate and a group presentation.

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How to apply

Application and admission details

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Course level

Master / Advanced

Credits

3 ECTS

Contact hours

Language

English

Tuition fee

€735 - €1310

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Better understand food and water security, its context (local to global), major challenges, innovative solutions and policies.
• Understand and can explain major concepts and theories in this field.
• Be able to select and apply appropriate transdisciplinary approaches in food and water security research
• Have acquired skills to evaluate research and do critical reading of the literature.
• Possess the communication skills needed to participate in current debates in the field of food and water security.
Forms of tuition and assessment

This course is going to be taught through lectures, excursions (if possible), discussions, group work, and videos.
Students will be assessed through active participation in an in-class debate and a group presentation.
About the course lecturers

Denyse Snelder and Sabina Di Prima work at the Centre for International Cooperation (CIS), VU Amsterdam. Both manage and implement research and capacity building projects in Africa and Southeast Asia. Dr Snelder has expertise in sustainable land and water management and Mrs Di Prima conducts PhD research in food and nutrition security. Dr Ben Sonneveld is senior researcher at the Amsterdam Centre for World Food Studies and has expertise in natural resource management and ecological economics. Dr Marthe Wens is member of the Water and Climate research group in the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at VU Amsterdam and her research concerns the integration of adaptation and mitigation behaviour in drought risk and impact analysis.
Preliminary course schedule

You can find the preliminary syllabus for summer 2024 via this link.
^{*Please note that this is a preliminary syllabus and that it might be subject to change.}
Further information

The Summer School on Food and Water Security is organised by the Centre for International Cooperation, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Centre for World Food Studies (ACWFS), a joint initiative of the School of Business and Economics (SBE) and the Faculty of Science. The Centre is active in acquisition and implementation of externally funded research and education projects, in developing interdisciplinary education; in promoting communication between researchers at the VU by organising seminars, workshops and conferences.