Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn)

Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn)

Create a more sustainable food service business and make a difference to your bottom line, your stakeholders, and the environment. Improve your sustainable practices within your organisation. Sustainability isn’t just about ‘greening’; sustainability actually means ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.’ On this course, you’ll look at general global sustainability concepts, issues, and concerns, before focusing on sustainability specifically within food service and what you can do to reduce your impact.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Explore the environmental impact of the food industry
There are many different aspects of sustainability that affect us all. From climate change to carbon footprints, you’ll learn about the various environmental issues in general terms.
You’ll then hone in on sustainability in the food industry, delving into food waste, non-renewable energy consumption, and plastic pollution, among other topics. This will help you to discuss the decisions, actions, and reasons for implementing sustainability practices.

Discover how to implement sustainable practices within a food business
This course will guide you through the different ways that you can implement sustainable practices in both your personal life and in a food service organisation.
You’ll examine the circular economy, using a real-life example to demonstrate the practical ways that it can work. You’ll also discuss how a food service company could consider some key aspects of sustainability, alongside discussing the various challenges you might face.
By the end of this course, you’ll have both strategies and support to create and work within sustainable food service businesses.

Learn from the experts at the ICS
The ICS, accredited by the World Chefs’ Association, are committed to providing professional, excellent, technology-driven education to improve every aspect of the food industry.
What topics will you cover?

  • Brief history of sustainability
  • What does sustainability mean to you?
  • The greatest challenge that humans have ever faced
  • Carbon footprint, greenhouse gasses and climate change explained
  • Human impacts on the environment
  • Future of Food
  • Sustainability in Food Service
  • Consumer expectations - ethical consumerism
  • The circular economy
  • Food service response to sustainability
  • Hospitality Schools response to adopting sustainability

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

  • Explain global sustainability concepts, issues and concerns
  • Discuss the decisions, actions, and reasons for implementing sustainability in a food service organization
  • Identify some challenges a business might face when implementing sustainable practices
  • Identify ways that an individual can implement sustainable choices.
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

The Great Sustainability Transition: Global Challenges, Local Actions (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Leiden University

The Great Sustainability Transition: Global Challenges, Local Actions (FutureLearn)

Discover how global environmental crises are connected, their impacts, and how to take action in your local community. Learn from experts in environmental science at Leiden University. We are living in an era of unprecedented environmental change. As a result, we are experiencing biodiversity loss, climate change, and overuse of freshwater resources, to name just a few. All of these affect fundamental ecosystem processes, causing change on a local and global scale. On this four-week course from Leiden University, you’ll learn how these huge environmental crises are interconnected and how they impact our planet.

Jan 16th 2023
4 Weeks
Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of York

Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn)

Discover how environmental research can inform how we respond to and solve the major global environmental issues of today. Explore sustainable solutions to environmental issues like changing glaciers. Our energy use is unsustainable, we’re producing waste plastic that’s endangering oceans, and large parts of the natural world are disappearing. We know our planet is facing huge environmental challenges, but what are we doing to solve them?

Self Paced
4 Weeks
How Food is Made. Understanding Food Processing Technologies (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
EIT Food,EIT,DIL

How Food is Made. Understanding Food Processing Technologies (FutureLearn)

Have you ever wondered how your food is processed before it reaches your plate? Find out with this online course. Learn more about processing technologies and the foods that are affected. Food processing isn’t a new concept, however, many people might not understand how and why it happens. On this course, you will improve your knowledge of food processing technologies and build confidence in the processed foods on the market.

Jan 2nd 2023
4 Weeks
Creating Ethical and Sustainable Cities at the Local Level (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
RMIT University,EIT Community

Creating Ethical and Sustainable Cities at the Local Level (FutureLearn)

See how frameworks for ethical and sustainable cities can be localised, fostering resilient cities for the future. Learn how you can contribute to the sustainable cities of tomorrow. It’s widely accepted that, as we look towards the future, we need to actively create cities that are ethical, sustainable, inclusive, and well-governed. To do this, we need to localise frameworks and principles such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the European Green Deal and New European Bauhaus to make tangible differences. Knowing how to start this localisation can be daunting, which is why this course from RMIT is so valuable.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Introduction to Food Science (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Queen’s University Belfast,EIT Food,EIT

Introduction to Food Science (FutureLearn)

Discover the fascinating world of food science and feel empowered to make safe, healthy, and sustainable food choices. Discover topics like food sustainability, integrity, ethics, and constituents. Food and health information is often oversimplified by the media, and recommendations can be inaccurately reported and contradictory to current recommendations.

Jan 2nd 2023
4 Weeks
Chemical Engineering: Shaping a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Chemical Engineering: Shaping a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn)

Learn how chemical engineering can help to solve global challenges and explore its role in delivering sustainable development. Understand how chemical engineers can provide sustainable solutions. Chemical engineers are leading the way in providing answers to global challenges such as climate change, food security, and effective healthcare. On this two-week course, you will be introduced to the exciting world of chemical engineering. You’ll explore how chemical engineers develop and design chemical manufacturing processes to provide sustainable solutions.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Identifying Food Fraud (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of East Anglia

Identifying Food Fraud (FutureLearn)

An introduction to modern analytical science techniques and how they can be used to uncover food fraud. The food industry is one of the most important commercial sectors in the world. Everyone uses it, but how many people abuse it? As we witness the increasing globalisation of the supply chain, a growing challenge is verifying the questionable identity of raw materials in the food we eat.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Malaya

Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn)

Discover how religion, particularly Islamic teachings, and scientific knowledge can work together towards sustainable solutions. Use a blend of religion and science to explore sustainability. Sustainable Development is one of the most comprehensive worldwide concepts today in the quest to safeguard the environment. This principle of sustainability has been discovered to be intrinsically linked to the concept of Shariah, which emphasises the importance of continuity not just in this world, but also in the afterlife.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
How to Drive Sustainable Healthcare: Educate, Engage, and Empower (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

How to Drive Sustainable Healthcare: Educate, Engage, and Empower (FutureLearn)

Understand how healthcare impacts the environment and gain the skills to drive sustainable change within your healthcare setting. Discover the importance of sustainability in healthcare. Though healthcare systems play a vital role in society, they also have a considerable environmental impact. As we face the climate crisis, we must identify ways to reduce this impact. On this three-week course, you’ll discover how healthcare systems negatively affect the environment and what you can do in your healthcare setting to mitigate this. With this understanding, you’ll gain skills to promote sustainability and improve the health of your patients and the planet.

Jan 29th 2024
3 Weeks
Circular Business Models for Sustainable Urban Food Systems (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
EIT Food,University of Helsinki,EIT,University of Turin

Circular Business Models for Sustainable Urban Food Systems (FutureLearn)

Discover how circular business models transform urban food systems to tackle grand challenges through innovative solutions. Explore how circular economy can foster sustainable urban food systems. On this course, you’ll discover how to design and build circular food systems for resilient, smart and sustainable cities.

Jan 2nd 2023
4 Weeks
Introduction to Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Deakin University

Introduction to Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis (FutureLearn)

Boost your sustainability career as you gain the practical skills to conduct an environmental cost-benefit analysis. This two-week course will arm you with the skills to be able to choose and implement strategies for carbon reduction in your organisation. What’s more, you’ll gain expertise in environmental cost-benefit analysis to translate climate action into real value for your company.

Aug 28th 2023
2 Weeks
Achieving Transitions to Zero Carbon Emissions and Sustainable Urban Mobility (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London,Transforming Urban Mobility Initiative - TUMI,EIT Urban Mobility,ICLEI

Achieving Transitions to Zero Carbon Emissions and Sustainable Urban Mobility (FutureLearn)

Discover how cities can transform their urban mobility systems to become more sustainable and reach zero carbon emissions. Understand the steps to becoming sustainable city. Transport accounts for a large proportion of carbon emissions, so ensuring urban mobility systems are sustainable is key to helping cities to achieve zero-carbon goals. On this four-week course, you’ll discover how cities can transition their mobility systems to become sustainable, innovative, and inclusive.

Self Paced
4 Weeks