Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems: A new course on FutureLearn

Approximately 20% of the African population is affected by malnutrition, a challenge exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. A new online course exploring ways of mitigating this with research-led strategies is now available for anyone interested in the effects of climate change and creating resilience and sustainability in agriculture and food systems.  

‘Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems’ is led by academics from the University of Leeds who are part of the GSRF AFRICAP programme (GCRF-Agricultural and Food System Resilience: Increasing Capacity and Advising Policy). GSRF AFRICAP is a £9.2 million programme aiming to make agriculture and food production in sub-Saharan Africa more productive, sustainable and resilient to climate change. 

Learners will be introduced to the AFRICAP Research Programme and case studies diversifying food production and conservation agriculture. They will investigate methods of predicting the impact of climate change, and evaluate how communities, policymakers, and donors can respond to these impacts. 

Featuring topics including how climate change affects food systems, the application of modelling to project future effects, changing food consumption patterns, and conservation agriculture techniques, the learner will be equipped with key strategies that can be applied to any country in the world.  

The course will be particularly useful to both students and experts with an interest or a background in agriculture, environment or food science, and who are keen to learn how current research can have a positive effect on communities. 

Suitable for continuing professional development, Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems is available to join for free on FutureLearn from 29 March 2021.