Sustainable Food Consumption

The course is a single subject in-dept course.

Bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition, or Secondary School Teacher Education Programme in Home and Consumer Studies (Grades 7–9), or equivalent.

The course is based on the UN's action plan for sustainable development, the Nordic nutritional recommendations and the latest research into sustainable food consumption. It focuses on identifying and problematising the meaning of sustainable food consumption and how this can be achieved for different population groups. Current methods for calculating and evaluating the environmental and nutritional impact of food, as well as the bioavailability of iron, are tested and discussed. Support for how sustainable meals can be understood and achieved is provided by scientific literature and theories on sustainable consumption and sustainable food choices. Various challenges and trade-offs are discussed in relation to how individuals, authorities and companies work to implement more sustainable food choices. The course includes an individual project, enabling students to focus on a specific area of interest.

On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Describe the significance and content of sustainable food consumption from different perspectives.
• Explain the impact of food consumption on the environment, nutritional content and bioavailability.
• Explain how sustainable meals can be understood and implemented in practice.

Skills and abilities 

• Use tools to measure the environmental impact and nutritional content of meals and recipes, including the bioavailability of iron, and discuss the results in relation to various aspects of sustainability.

Judgement and approach

• Analyse and assess the opportunities, challenges and conflicting goals of implementing sustainable food consumption based on health, climate and environmental effects as well as different population groups and food choices.

The course has a sustainability focus, meaning that at least one of its learning objectives demonstrates how the content meets one of the University of Gothenburg's sustainability labelling criteria. This content constitutes the course's main focus.

Teaching takes place remotely and includes literature seminars, discussions, workshops and lectures.

Language of instruction: English

Teaching and examinations may be conducted in Swedish, provided that all students are proficient in the language.

The course is assessed through two seminars, two workshops, an oral presentation, an opposition and a written individual report.

If an examination assignment is assessed as being close to the pass threshold, a supplementary submission may be permitted according to the examiner’s instructions. If the supplementary submission is not completed on time, the assignment will be failed.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U).

To obtain a Pass grade, the student must participate in all examination components and achieve the stated learning outcomes.
To obtain a Pass with Distinction, the requirements for Pass must be met, and the grade of Pass with Distinction must have been achieved in the oral presentation, the peer review, and the written report.

The course evaluation is carried out in written and/or oral form. The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.

This is a course that primarily addresses environment and sustainable development, with more than half of its content focused on ecological, economic, or social sustainability.