TOPIC CHOICES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT (choices are the same for essay or policy brief)
1. Sustainable fisheries
Critically examine the environmental and sustainability issues surrounding existing open capture fisheries, and policy or governance initiatives that are attempting to create more sustainable fisheries.
You may choose to focus on a particular geographical region or type of fish; and on roundtables, certification or labelling schemes, such as the Marine Stewardship Council.
2. Food waste
Critically examine the causes of food waste and policy or governance initiatives to reduce food waste.
You may focus on household food waste or food losses that occur earlier in the food supply chain (during harvest, processing and retail). You may choose to focus on a particular country or region, on public and/or private governance initiatives to reduce food waste and on local, national or global initiatives.
3. Large-scale land-use: livestock, palm or soy production
Critically examine the environmental issues arising from either livestock, palm or soy production, and policy or governance initiatives aimed at making this production sector more sustainable.
This may include critical examination of the sustainability of current levels and scales of production of these commodities. You may consider the role of roundtable forums, NGOs or social movements, and the role of public and private standards, certification schemes and regulations.
4. Farm animal welfare
Critically examine farm animal welfare issues and current policy or governance initiatives for
improving farm animal welfare.
You should consider public and/or private governance approaches, and the role of regulations, certification systems and/or labelling. You should focus on a particular production system, such as chicken eggs, chicken meat, pigs or cattle. You may also choose to focus on a particular country or region.
5. Sustainable water use in agriculture
Critically examine the environmental issues related to water use for agricultural production,
and policy or governance approaches to sustainable management of water use for agriculture.
You may choose to focus on rainfed or irrigated agricultural production, and on a particular country or region (e.g. South-East Australia, California or China). You may focus on a market- based and/or rights-based approach to sustainable water management or on specific conceptual approaches, such as ‘water footprinting’ or ‘virtual water’.
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6. Organic agriculture
Critically examine the role of organic certification and standard schemes in promoting
sustainable food production.
You could consider the role of the organic certification system in ensuring sustainable practices; or comparative differences between certification systems and their outcomes on sustainable food production practices; or whether the regulation of organic systems should be the responsibility of the government or industry.
7. Resilient and sustainable city region food systems
Critically examine the role of local food production and distribution in creating more resilient and sustainable city region food systems, and discuss policy and/or governance approaches to achieving resilient and sustainable city region food systems.
You may focus on a particular region or cities, and you may discuss both public policy approaches and the role of other actors, such as producers, civil society groups and other community-based actors. You may consider the links between environmental sustainability, health and socio-economic aspects of sustainability, but your essay should focus primarily on resilient and environmentally sustainable food systems.