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751-5005-00L 2 Credits BSC , MSC D-USYS
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Agroecology and the Transition to Sustainable Food Systems

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. em. Dr. Bernhard Wehrli, Dr. Martijn Sonnevelt, Michelle Grant, Prof. Dr. Susanne E. Ulbrich
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:47:26

Abstract

The aim of this lecture series is to offer students and the interested public a deeper insight into the fundamentals of agroecology and its potential role in transforming food systems. For more information on the public lecture part of this course, please visit:Link

Objective

Students know the elements of agroecology and are able to critically reflect on the important properties as well as benefits and trade-offs of agroecological systems and approaches. Students are able to understand and explain how the 10 elements could be implemented as guiding principles for policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders across the food system in planning, managing and evaluating agroecological transitions. This course enables students and an interested public to engage in a lively and critical debate and to learn about scientific contributions to agroecology. Based on the knowledge gained, students are able to form a personal opinion on the role of agroecology and to reflect on the different facets and real-world applications supporting a transition towards sustainable food systems.

Content

Organization of the lecture: The lecture series will take place in the fall semester of ETH Zurich, starting in the week of September 20, 2021 and lasting until December 17, 2021. During this period, the lecture will take place once a week, on Tuesdays from 18:00-20:00 (CEST/CET). Each lecture will be organized in an online format and will be set up in two parts consisting of a public and a student lecture: At the end of the lecture series, the course will be evaluated with the students. Public lecture part (virtually via Zoom webinar): The public lecture (18:00-19:00 CEST/CET) will take place virtually via this Zoom webinar: https://ethz.zoom.us/j/64352765873 . While most public lectures will take one hour, the last public lecture on “Agroecology, The Way Forward”, on Tuesday, 7th December 2021, will last 90 minutes. Student’s lecture part (exchange with course instructors online via zoom): The student’s lecture (19:15-20:00h CEST/CET) will take place online via a normal Zoom call: https://ethz.zoom.us/j/61315399346 . For further details, please refer to the Moodle-page of this course: https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=15210

Resources

Lecture Notes

On the Moodle-page you can find some pre-readings for the course.

Literature

http://www.fao.org/agroecology/en/ http://www.fao.org/3/ca5602en/ca5602en.pdf

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
ungraded semester performance

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Agroecology and the Transition to Sustainable Food Systems
Online lecture: This lecture will primarily take place online. Reserved rooms will remain blocked on campus for students to follow the course from there.
  • Tue 18:15-19:00 (CHN C 14)
  • Tue 19:15-20:00 (CHN E 42)
  • Tue 19:15-20:00 (CHN E 46)
2 h weekly

Offered In