# FDSC10030

**Source**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=FDSC10030&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026
**Parent**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=UAS1&AUDIENCE=

Academic Year 2025/2026

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#### Our Food, Our Planet: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems (FDSC10030)

Subject:
:   Food Science

College:
:   Health & Agricultural Sciences

School:
:   Agriculture & Food Science

Level:
:   1 (Introductory)

Credits:
:   5

Module Coordinator:
:   Professor Alexander Evans

Trimester:
:   Spring

Mode of Delivery:
:   On Campus

Internship Module:
:   No

How will I be graded?
:   Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will introduce students to the challenges, and some of the solutions, to sustainable food systems at a global scale.\
\
The module is also relevant to all undergraduate students UCD students interested in food and sustainability.

## About this Module

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### What will I learn?

###### Learning Outcomes:

Appreciate the challenges of feeding a growing global population.\
\
Have a basic understanding of the functions of foods (e.g. nutrition, livelihoods and the economy) and the challenge of\
defining sustainable diets.\
\
Have an appreciation for food production, food commodities, the food supply chain, food price and food waste.\
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Gain an understanding of the food and climate change conundrum, including the contribution of plant and animal sourced foods.\
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Be able to critique some of the wider food issues related to challenges of animal feed, biofuels, biodiversity and future foods.\

###### Indicative Module Content:

Some of the topics to be covered include: history of food, food for the global population, food security, nutrition and food, ultra-processed foods, sustainable diets, food waste, food commodities, food production systems, food supply chains, food price today, food & climate change, animal sourced foods, plant based foods, food and biodiversity, food versus fuel, genetically modified foods, and future foods.\

### How will I learn?

###### Student Effort Hours:

| Student Effort Type | Hours |
| --- | --- |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Specified Learning Activities | 26 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 50 |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 100 |

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###### Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

The module will be delivered through face-to-face lectures with all material being available via Bright Space. \
\
Continuous assessment will be designed to encourage self-reflection enquiry and learning.\

### Am I eligible to take this module?

###### Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

\

###### Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Not applicable to this module.
\
 \

### How will I be assessed?

###### Assessment Strategy

| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exam (In-person): End of Trimester Exam - short questions and/or MCQ | End of trimester  Duration:  1 hr(s) | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 50 | No |
| Quizzes/Short Exercises: In class, open book, short questions (30%) | Week 11 | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 30 | No |
| Reflective Assignment: Take-home reflection and assessment of own food practices habits and motivation (20%) | Week 5 | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 20 | No |

\

###### Carry forward of passed components

Yes

\

### What happens if I fail?

| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
| --- | --- |
| Autumn | Yes - 1 Hour |

*Please see [Student Jargon Buster](https://www.ucd.ie/students/services/ucdstudentjargonbuster/) for more information about remediation types and timing.* \

### Assessment feedback

###### Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment\
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment\

###### How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

### Associated Staff

| Name | Role |
| --- | --- |
| Dr Zoe McKay | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |

### When is this module offered?

**Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.**

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spring | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | Wed 13:00 - 14:50 |

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