Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

• Challenges and Sustainability in Food and Bio-based Supply
Introducing the unique challenges to food and bio-based supply and how these interact with the sustainability agenda; provides an overview of the aspects expanded upon in subsequent units.
• Environmental and Social Sustainability
Explores the different aspects of environmental and social sustainability in food and bio-based supply, including approaches to assessing these elements of sustainability, and potential tensions and challenges surrounding them.
• Nutritional Sustainability and Health
Considers social sustainability in food supply in terms of the quality of products delivered and their impacts on consumers, from food safety to nutritional issues (One Health agenda, obesity and malnutrition)
• Economics, Business Goals and Sustainability
Examines economic theory of supply, and business goals and the synergies and tensions between these and achieving sustainability
• Paths to Sustainability
Considers the ‘Lean management’ revolution in supply systems and the extent to which it can deliver improved sustainability in food and bio-based supply and contrasts this model for change with the development of alternative supply systems that seek sustainability through more fundamental change.
• The Power of Information
Focuses attention on the central role of information in supply systems (building on the concepts of ‘Lean management’ from the previous unit) and the impact of new data collection techniques and analytical capacity on this role. The opportunities and challenges related with these changes are explored (power relations between producers such as farmers, retailers and customers; data security; increased transparency and accountability), including through a case study on the red meat supply system.
• Added Value from Sustainable Practice
Looks at how firms can benefit from sustainability by sharing their sustainable practices with customers, for example through labelling schemes that add value to products. Considers the limits and challenges relating to this process.
• Governing Sustainability
Explores how sustainability is governed by policy at national and international levels, including the principles of good governance and the related challenges – looks critically at the drivers of sustainability and the extent of external governance required.
• Case Studies of Sustainable Supply
Presents students with a range of real-life supply systems case studies from Wales and beyond, focussing on how the issues, challenges and opportunities discussed in previous units are tackled in the real world. Which issues are being handled well, which are more complicated? How do tensions between business goals and sustainability play out in real life and what solutions have firms found?
• Improving Sustainability in Practice – Innovation in Supply Systems
On the basis of the theoretical knowledge and concrete examples given in previous units, this unit facilitates exploration by the students themselves of a specific supply chain and the innovations which might be applied to improve its sustainability, including challenges and opportunities relating to such change.