Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems (FutureLearn)

Explore new research methods that help us predict the impact of climate change on agriculture and food systems.
After understanding the concept of a food system, you’ll be introduced to the GCRF-AFRICAP programme and learn new methods that are being developed and used to analyse future direct and indirect climate impacts on African food systems. You’ll then investigate how scenario approaches and modelling tools are being used to inform policy responses.

Learn how to build resilience in agricultural and food systems in your own country.
Through case studies exploring diversifying food production and conservation agriculture in sub-Saharan countries, you will understand some of the strategies that are being implemented to build food system resilience. You will evaluate these strategies’ benefits and costs to communities, policymakers, and donors. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to apply ideas and concepts for building climate resilience in agriculture and food systems in your own country.

What topics will you cover?

• The effects of climate change on agriculture and food systems
• Using modelling to project future effects of climate change
• Using scenario building to project future effects of climate change
• Changing food consumption patterns in Zambia
• Using conservation agriculture techniques in Malawi
• Driving transformation in agriculture and food systems

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

• Describe the characteristics of agriculture and food systems.
• Identify the drivers and challenges impacting food systems over the twenty-first century, with a particular emphasis on climate change.
• Investigate the interplay between different drivers of food systems change.
• Engage with and apply methods used to describe possible future scenarios for various food systems and agricultural production.
• Evaluate forecasts for climate impacts on food systems and agricultural production.
• Explore examples of strategies and policies used to adapt to change in African food systems.
• Engage with the methods and outcomes of the GCRF-AFRICAP programme's research.
• Assess options for building climate resilience in food systems.

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone interested in the effects of climate change and creating resilience and sustainability in food production and food systems.
The strategies and techniques presented in the course are based on research that has taken place in various sub-Saharan African countries but they can be used in other parts of Africa and across the world.
The course will be particularly useful if you have an interest or a background in agriculture, environment or food science and you want to learn how current research can have a positive effect on communities.
Since the course examines the implementation of these strategies across a food system where different parties other than farmers are involved, it can provide inspiration to policymakers, charities and other non-governmental organisations