BSEN10020
Source: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=BSEN10020&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026 Parent: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=ETS2&AUDIENCE=
Academic Year 2025/2026
How Sustainable is My Food? (BSEN10020)
Subject: : Biosystems Engineering
College: : Engineering & Architecture
School: : Biosystems & Food Engineering
Level: : 1 (Introductory)
Credits: : 5
Module Coordinator: : Dr Tamíris Da Costa
Trimester: : Spring
Mode of Delivery: : On Campus
Internship Module: : No
How will I be graded? : Letter grades
Curricular information is subject to change.
There is now widespread recognition that the global food system is unsustainable, particularly in the context of climate change. This means it is responsible for adverse environmental and social impacts. An important question each individual should ask, and answer, is: how sustainable is my food? This module will explore the evidence to help us answer this and related questions including:\ Is the food we choose to eat contributing to climate change and causing impacts, in Ireland and beyond, that will result in future generations inheriting a significantly degraded environment? \ Is the food we eat supplied to us at prices we are willing to pay due to social exploitation? \ Is the food we have access to needlessly wasted? \ Module participants will also examine their own diet and work out what kind of impacts they have. Finally, we will explore the possibility of fixing the food system so that we can eat sustainable food.
About this Module
Open All Close All
What will I learn?
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this module you should be able to:\ (1) explain the difference between a food item, a meal and a diet\ (2) outline the reasons for considering both sustainability and nutrition when evaluating which foods to eat\ (3) explain the environmental impacts caused by the food system, and the choice of foods you eat\ (4) record and evaluate the food you eat and identify options to reduce the adverse impacts of your food choices
Indicative Module Content:
(1) A working definition of 'sustainable'. Strong vs weak sustainability. Relative vs absolute impact. The donut: from the social floor to the environmental ceiling.\ (2) Recoding the food you eat. Keeping a food diary. Identifying foods, and recording what is eaten (type, amount).\ (3) Impact of the food system and specific foods on soil and land. Soil quality, soil loss, land occupation, land degradation, biodiversity.\ (4) Impact of the food system and specific foods on the atmosphere. Climate and air quality impacts. Causes and adaptation.\ (5) Impact of the food system and specific foods on the hydrosphere (water). Water quality, disruption of the hydrological cycle, irrigation.\ (6) The role of nutrition and its relationship with environmental impacts. Nutritional Life Cycle Assessment.\ (7) Estimating the impact of a food item, meal and diet. The EAT-Lancet report and beyond. \ (8) Fair access to food: food deserts, pricing and fair share. Cheap food vs the cost of producing food. Access to foods. \ (9) How sustainable is the food we eat? Using the diet recorded by the class, an assessment will be made of whether the food eaten is sustainable.\ (10) Food waste\ (11) Guest speakers from NGOs, industry, research, as time permits
How will I learn?
Student Effort Hours:
| Student Effort Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Autonomous Student Learning | 72 |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Tutorial | 4 |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 100 |
\
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
(1) Lectures\ (2) Data collection by the class\ (3) Analysis of the data collected to answer the question\ (4) Different communication methods
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment(Including Essay): Collect a food diary for 7 days, grouped by food item, meal and diet | Week 4 | Graded | No | 25 | Yes |
| Assignment(Including Essay): Calculate selected impacts and nutrition of the food recorded in the food diary | Week 8 | Graded | No | 50 | No |
| Assignment(Including Essay): An infographic, aimed at your peers, on your diet's impacts and the best options to reduce them, with explanations. | Week 12 | Graded | No | 25 | No |
\
Carry forward of passed components
Yes
\
What happens if I fail?
| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
|---|---|
| Autumn | No |
Please see Student Jargon Buster 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.
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 | Thurs 15:00 - 16:50 |