Course Overview

Course Title: Food System and Sustainability

Relevant SDGs:  SDG2 SDG3

Credit(s): 2 credits

Course Description:

Food systems describe the food paths from source to consumer. This comprehensive course delves into the critical intersection of food systems and sustainability, offering a profound understanding of how our food choices impact the environment, society, and the economy. Through interdisciplinary exploration, students will gain the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of today's global food systems. This course will help students understand the factors affecting food systems. Students will examine technological aspects of modern food systems, covering the environmental, economic, and social sustainability, food resilience, the roles of innovation and technology in modern food systems, and consumers’ awareness.  

This course combines lectures, group case studies, discussions, and practical exercises like group presentation. Students will engage in critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative projects to address real-world challenges in food systems and sustainability. Guest speakers from various sectors of the food industry will provide unique insights. By the end of the course, participants will be well-equipped to make informed decisions and contribute to the transformation of food systems towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Academic Team

PI:

• Zhongquan Sui, Professor, School of Agriculture and Biology, zsui@sjtu.edu.cn

Collaborators:

• Juan Du, Associate Professor, Department of Food Technology, Singapore Institute of Technology, du.juan@signaporetech.edu.sg
• Abadi Gebre Mezgebe, Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, Hawassa University, abadigebre84@gmail.com

What skills will students get?

1. Describe food systems and the influences upon them.
2. Understand how modern food systems can affect health.
3. Describe food system regulations, monitoring procedures and the role of the dietitian as factors encouraging a safe food supply.
4. Understanding and establish the ability to identify problems and build the teamwork to solve problems.

Mode of Teaching

Lecture, tutorial, discussion, practice and group presentation.

Grading

1. Attendance: 30%;
2. Group presentation: 70%;

Course-specific Restrictions

N.A.

Class Schedule

Instructors

Zhongquan Sui

Zhongquan Sui is full Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Her current research is focused on starch and antioxidants. She supervised 33 Ph.D. and masters and 16 undergraduate students. Most of her projects have been funded by public and private organizations for a total of more than RMB 9 million as principal investigator. She has published 2 books, 86 papers in peer-reviewed Journals (10 as first author and 67 as corresponding author) and hold 21 patents related to food science and technology. She has received 2092 citations according to Google Scholar. The book is getting popular and sold well in Amazon, Rakuten Corporation, Buecher in Europe, US and Asia. She serviced in 7 food companies in advisory council. Two patents were applied in food industry and helped the companies to make more than RMB 7 million profit each year. She was invited and give more than 50 presentations in domestic and international conferences.

Dr. Juan Du

Dr. Juan Du Obtained her PhD degree in food science from Purdue University in 2016. She joined Nestlé global Process Technology Centre for ice cream in Bakersfield, California, USA in 2019. She moved to Singapore and became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Technology at Singapore Institute of Technology. Juan is currently leading and co-leading a few government and industry funded research projects in alternative protein discovery and functional characterization, and novel food innovation. 

Dr. Abadi

Dr. Abadi is an academic staff at School of Nutrition, Food Science and Technology (SNFST), College of Agriculture (CA), Hawasa University (HU) (Ethiopia). His research interest focuses on Food Science and Technology linked to Human Nutrition with domain of Grain processing technology, Grain chemistry, starch and protein chemistry, functional bio-molecules and healthy diets, food structure-function, food product development, malting and brewing, food and nutrition security, and sensory Studies. 

Dr. Abadi has received PhD in Food Science from University of Pretoria (South Africa), MSc in Food Technology from K.U.Leuven (Belgium) and BSc in Food Science and PHT from Hawassa University. He has served Hawassa University at different levels & positions since 2007. He supervised postgraduate students, published articles in reputable journals, and involved in collaborative research projects of improved sorghum, teff, pulses, and food-nutrition security as researcher & Co-PI. He is executive member of the African Network for Sensory Evaluation Research.

Course Contact

Zhongquan Sui: zsui@sjtu.edu.cn