The module will provide students with an understanding of the bioeconomy, the interconnected relationship between agriculture and the environment as well as techniques the food & drinks industry can use to underpin a transition to a circular economy. The bioeconomy model will be introduced and the drivers for its adoption presented. Students will investigate the relationship between agriculture and carbon production and link this to current National / European policy such as the European Green Deal. Students will learn about sustainable food & drink production, green energy and the potential of biomass as a sustainable source of energy and products.
Describe the bioeconomy model, its principles and drivers.
The bioeconomy model and its principles will be covered. Drivers of change and the need for a bioeconomy will be discussed. Biobased resources and associated value chains will be introduced.
Food Security
The interconnected relationship between the environment and agriculture will be discussed. The historical and current impact of agriculture on carbon emissions will be reviewed. Models predicting the future relationship between climate change, crop yield and food security will be covered.
Policy
National policy documents such as “National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy” and the European policy “A European Green Deal” will be discussed in the context of the Bioeconomy and the impact on the food & drink sector.
Sustainable food production
Sustainable agricultural practices, biobased resources (e.g. biomass) and the associated value chains will be discussed along with the potential of valorisation techniques to extract additional value.
Delivery by means of lectures with audiovisual aids and in-class activities. Critical evaluation of the scientific literature will be used (i) by the lecturer to teach the current state of the art on techniques and technologies relating to the Bioeconomy and (ii) Students will be required to use the latest scientific papers to inform their assignments.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |