Blended
Food Systems for Healthier and Sustainable Diets
By 2050 the world population is estimated to have grown to around 10 billion people. The global challenge is not only how to feed the growing population, but also how to provide a nutritious diet for healthy living that can be sustained for generations. Currently, 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. In this course we explore existing dietary gaps for different populations, discuss issues related to consumer behaviour, food environments, food supply chains and drivers at national, regional and global level that are linked to these dietary gaps. We will use a back-casting approach to discuss possible food system solutions and possible actions to be taken to transform the food system, focussing on the consumer-food environment nexus, for addressing these gaps and how these actions can be leveraged in a sustainable way.
*Full-time course will be taught online and in the Netherlands, course date is subject to change
What will you learn?
Upon completion of the course you will be able to:
- Summarize the components, activities and stakeholders of food systems, and their interconnections with healthier and sustainable diets;
- Explain the concept of food environment, the drivers of consumer food choices and the challenges and trade-offs in these when transforming to healthier and sustainable diets;
- Design a food environment innovation for healthier and sustainable diets using food system thinking;
- Perform independently reflective learning at the personal and group level.
For whom is this course?
This course is a joint effort between the Division of Human Nutrition and Health of Wageningen University and the Wageningen Centre of Development Innovation, Wageningen Research.
Professional applicants should have at least an MSc or an equivalent academic qualification in the field of food and nutrition, food science, home economics, agriculture, medicine or a related field of study and should have at least three years of professional experience in governmental (research, university, policy & planning and/or management) or local non-governmental organisation related to the course theme.
Requirements for MSc and PhD students and postdocs of Wageningen University to enter the course, see https://ssc.wur.nl/handbook/course/HNH-36406. Proficiency in reading and speaking English is required.
Course programme in more detail
The global challenge at the moment is not only how to feed the growing population, but also how to provide a nutritious diet for active and healthy living. Diets should not only respond to the current and future health challenges but should also be sustained for generations. Achieving this goal requires a radical transformation of the global food system. This course explores transforming of the food environment from a dietary perspective and discuss which drivers and challenges are related to the dietary gaps for different populations groups at national, regional and global level.
Course formats
Our courses are offered in two format: online or blended. A course taught in blended format is taught partially online and partially in person. Check the course details for more information about whether it is taught in online or blended format.
Application for this course
On top of this page you can apply for the course Food Systems for Healthier and Sustainable Diets. Depending on your nationality, your organisation and the type of course you wish to join, your eligibility and the application procedures may differ. Find out more about the requirements and the application process.