Current issues and solutions in agriculture, including social, commercial, and environmental aspects, and the role of science and technology for driving innovation.
This paper will focus on how science and innovation can provide solutions to our biggest challenge - how to sustainably feed a world population that is expected to grow to nearly 10 billion by 2050 - with no more land available for agriculture.
Coping with climate change and reducing the environmental impact of farming will require innovative solutions, new expertise and ways of thinking.
AGRI 101 will focus on the role of scientific innovation, but will also provide an understanding and appreciation for agriculture in a broader context including economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects. Māori perspectives relating to agriculture and the importance of Māori throughout the primary sector will be woven into the fabric of the course, providing students with an ethical framework to consider environmental impacts.
| Paper title | Agricultural Innovation |
|---|---|
| Paper code | AGRI101 |
| Subject | Agriculture |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,141.35 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Commerce, Science
- Contact
Professor Craig Bunt - craig.bunt@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
More information can be viewed on the Ag@Otago website: https://www.otago.ac.nz/agriculture/
- Teaching staff
Convenor: Professor Craig Bunt
Lectures from Food Science, Commerce, Business, Humanities, Science and Industry will teach different modules.
- Paper Structure
Lectures cover the following areas:
- Agricultural Science and Technology
- Modern Agriculture and Challenges
- Innovation in Māori Farming
- Soil, Nutrients, and Water
- Integrity of the Food Chain
- Food Production Systems
- Agricultural Commerce
- Agriculture Meeting Demand
Assessment:
- Tutorials - 6%
- Case study project - 12%
- Practicals - 12%
- Mid-term test - 10%
- 3-hour final exam - 60%
- Teaching Arrangements
39 lectures and five 3-hour laboratory sessions.
- Textbooks
No textbooks are required for this paper. All readings will be made available via eReserve on Blackboard.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy,
Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will
- Appreciate the Māori farming models and ethical frameworks, and the major role Māori play in contemporary New Zealand agriculture
- Comprehend the role of the Green Revolution, and how technology was involved with agricultural advances in New Zealand since 1950
- Develop and appreciation of different food production systems that farming needs to be financially as well as environmentally sustainable, and the role of science and innovation in achieving this
- Analyses of how developments in management, genetics and biotechnology have sustained increased production in New Zealand agriculture for the past century
- Develop skills in scientific literacy and ability to acquire and assess new knowledge, and present this to a general audience
- Become familiar with the confounding demands and strictures demanded by the public, which may influence food producers’ and farmers’ “Licence to Operate”, in a world with ever demanding regulatory constraints
