The course focuses on how food systems can become more sustainable. The UN predicts we will be 9-10 billion people on Earth in 2050. Providing so many people with nutritious foods is a massive challenge and one that cannot be met by simply upscaling current practices regarding food production and consumption. Providing humanity with nutritional food is at the center of all decisions related to sustainable development. Agriculture is responsible for 80% of global deforestation. The food systems release 29% of global greenhouse gasses. We use an area equivalent to North and South America combined for the production of meat for consumption or to produce the food necessary to feed the animals we eat. 70% of freshwater use is related to agriculture. These figures are staggering, and they show us, that we need to rethink and transform the way we produce, distribute, and consume food worldwide. The use of Technologies (Big data, remote sensing, IoT, blockchain) in agriculture and in the management of food systems is disruptive. The course will provide an overview of emerging technologies: constraints, opportunities, market strategies, and business cases.

Knowledge of the global food system today, including the current state of food and agriculture, how governments support the system, the threats and opportunities the sector is facing, and what the future of food and farming might look like; Understanding of data analysis techniques and sensors used. Study of innovative start-up solutions in the food-tech business. Understanding the main features and challenges of emerging technologies developed in the digital agriculture and their role in the agenda 2030

Agenda 2030, the SDGs and connections between goals, indicators and technologies; Global Food Systems; Food and Agricuture as Heritage; Foodtech and Agriculture 4.0 Agrifood tech definition; innovative digital technologies for the production, storage, processing, packaging, control, distribution of food; Technologies for traceability and food safety; design of new solutions to satisfy new consumption models; creation of new food products, packaging; remote sensing and Earth observation; space farm; Big Data and IoT solutions: new approaches to 'describe', 'predict', 'prescript'

Readings, Slides and materials provided by instructors. Suggested books: -Galanakis, Charis Michel. Food technology disruptions London [etc.] Elsevier Academic Press, 2021; -Castrignano, Annamaria. Agricultural Internet of Things and Decision Support for Precision Smart Farming. Ed. Annamaria Castrignano. London, England: Academic Press, 2020; -Zaman, Qamar. Precision Agriculture: Evolution, Insights and Emerging Trends. London, England: Academic Press, 2023; -Galanakis, Charis Michel. Food authentication and traceability London Academic Press, 2021; -Zhang, Chen., Yu. Gong, and Steve. Brown. Blockchain Applications in Food Supply Chain Management Case Studies and Implications. 1st ed. 2023. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023; -Wurgaft, Benjamin Aldes. Meat planet : artificial flesh and the future of food. Oakland University of California, 2019

Frontal lessons, class discussion, poster presentations, assignments, lectures.

Assignments, class discussion, in-class participation to the external lectures. Project work: discussion about the course contents. Oral exam: presentation and discussion of the report and the course contents

The students are asked to deliver a project work on one of the topics indicated by the instructors. The project work is a final assessment item that indicates the understanding of a topic. They can demonstrate how well you search for information, put ideas together in a logical sequence and edit them in a project work. A project work can be analytical, argumentative or persuasive. Students are asked to discuss, analyze, explain, investigate, explore or review a topic.