Food systems face the challenge to achieve nutrition security, food safety and healthy diets for an increasing global population and at the same time minimise their impact on the limited natural resources available thus protecting human well-being and social equity

Organisation

Key reasons to attend this course

Have an overview of the interaction between food systems and sustainability in the international policy context.
Be aware of the importance of good governance in food system transformation.
Understand key aspects and steps to design a food system sustainability assessment.
Be acquainted with updated and upgraded environmental, socio-economic, and nutritional assessment methodologies and with the criteria necessary to apply them in different contexts.
Have practical skills in implementing specific assessment methodologies.

Guest lecturers

Aldaya, Maite M. - ISFOOD-UPNA, Pamplona (Spain)
Arslan, Aslihan - FAO, Rome (Italy)
Cidad, Maite - AZTI, Derio (Spain)
Bojic, Dubravka - FAO, Rome (Italy)
Gil, José María - CREDA-UPC-IRTA, Barcelona (Spain)
Gil, Sergio - FRS, Barcelona (Spain)
Kallas, Zein - CREDA-UPC-IRTA, Barcelona (Spain)
Rhouma, Ali - PRIMA Foundation, Barcelona (Spain)
Valls, José - FAO, Rome (Italy)

Applied approach
(lectures, practical work & round table discussion)

Leading international experts

Face-to-face and online

Programme

Programme Timetable Brochure
  • 0. Opening session and programme presentation (1 hour)
  • 1. Introduction (2 hours)
    • 1.1. Concepts and analytical framework
      • 1.1.1. What is a food system? Why is sustainability important? What are sustainability assessments?
      • 1.1.2. Impact of food production and consumption and food system resilience to shocks and threats
    • 1.2. International and national policy context
      • 1.2.1. The SDGS and The UN Food System Summit
      • 1.2.2. European framework: European Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, New Circular Economy Strategy, Single Market for Green Products: Product Environmental Footprint
  • 2. Food systems governance (3 hours)
    • 2.1. Stakeholder mapping
    • 2.2. Coordination mechanisms and power relations
    • 2.3. Prioritisation of outcomes and dimensions, and defining criteria
  • 3. Measuring sustainability (2 hours)
    • 3.1. State of the art in measuring sustainability
    • 3.2. Defining system boundaries
    • 3.3. Designing measurable sustainable objectives
    • 3.4. Quantitative and qualitative approaches
    • 3.5. Issues in data availability: simple vs complex indicators
    • 3.6. Creating and maintaining monitoring systems
  • 4. Assessment methodologies (16 hours)
    • 4.1. Global food systems sustainability indicators: types of indicator. True cost accounting (TCA)
    • 4.2. Environmental assessment
      • 4.2.1. Life Cycle Analysis
      • 4.2.2. Environmental footprint
      • 4.2.3. Water footprint
      • 4.2.4. Carbon footprint
      • 4.2.5. Practical exercise: assessment of the environmental footprint of a seafood product and the water footprint of a drink
    • 4.3. Socio-economic assessment
      • 4.3.1. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
      • 4.3.2. Extended Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • 4.4. Food and nutrition composite indicators
  • 5. Synergies and trade-offs among environmental, social, economic and nutritional assessments. Resolution of conflicts (4.5 hours)
    • 5.1. Synthetic indicators
    • 5.2. Participatory tools
    • 5.3. Mathematical tools
    • 5.4. Practical exercise on resolution of conflicts
  • 6. The example of the water-energy-food nexus (4 hours)
    • 6.1. Why consider the water-energy-food nexus
    • 6.2. State of the art of indicators to measure the water-energy-food nexus in rural and urban areas
  • 7. Round table discussion: how to engage public and private actors in assessing sustainability of food systems? (2 hours)

Train at an outstanding international institution

Registration

The course is designed for professionals with a university degree, and is specially oriented towards public and private planners and decision-makers, administration officers, food producers, managers and marketers, technical advisors, researchers and NGO professionals working on or concerned with assessing the sustainability of food systems.

  • 25 places will be available for face-to-face participation with access to lectures, round table discussion and practical work (34.5 hours).
  • 30 places will be available for online participation with access to lectures via live streaming and round table discussion (30 hours).

Knowledge of English will be valued in the selection of candidates.

  • Candidates may apply online at the following address: http://www.admission.zaragoza.ciheam.org/en/
  • Applications must include the curriculum vitae and a copy of the support documents most related to the subject of the course. The deadline for the submission of applications is 9 June 2024. The deadline may be extended for candidates not applying for a scholarship if there are free places available.
  • Applications from candidates requiring authorisation to attend the course may be accepted provisionally.
  • Registration fees for the course amount to 500 euro for face-to-face participation and 350 euro for online participation. This sum covers tuition fees only.
  • Candidates from Mediterranean CIHEAM member countries (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Türkiye) may apply for scholarships covering fees, and for scholarships covering the cost of travel and full board accommodation in Zaragoza. If you wish to request a scholarship, please complete the relevant section when you make your application online to participate in the course.
  • Candidates from other countries who require financial support should apply directly to other national or international institutions.

It is compulsory for participants in face-to-face modality to have medical insurance valid for Spain. Proof of insurance cover must be given at the beginning of the course. Those who so wish may participate in a collective insurance policy taken out by the Organisation, upon payment of the stipulated sum.

CIHEAM Zaragoza

Av. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain

www.zaragoza.ciheam.org

iamz@zaragoza.ciheam.org

+34 976716000

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