Flexible
Online
Systems innovation for sustainable farming
Overview
| Module Title | Systems Innovation for Sustainable Farming |
| Subject Area | Biosystems Engineering |
| Credits | 5 |
| NFQ | 8 |
| EFQ | 5 |
| Start Date | 14th May 2025 |
| Time | Online classes on Wednesdays (5-7 pm recorded), including group work. + 1 in-person site visit (Saturday 24/05/2025, optional but recommended) |
| Duration | 10 weeks (finishes 30/07/25, but with a two week break) |
| Mode of Delivery | Online + Site visits |
| Lead Academic | Dr. Tamíris Da Costa |
| Fee | €875 IKC3 100% Funding Available - Limited Places |
| Application Deadline | 3rd May 2025 |
The System Innovation for Sustainable Farming module is designed to empower participants to tackle complex sustainability challenges in farming systems through collaborative innovation and solution creation. Agriculture faces a growing need for systemic change to address environmental degradation, resource inefficiencies, and social impacts. This module equips participants with the tools and mindset needed to develop impactful, interdisciplinary solutions for these challenges, fostering a culture of sustainability and innovation. Each year, the module focuses on a specific challenge, offering a hands-on, real-world context for learning and application. Challenges may include topics such as the underutilization of agri-food resources, improving biodiversity in farming systems, or reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices. This year, the module explores the issue of underexplored agri-food resources using industrial hemp as a case study to examine how the crop can be employed to create sustainable solutions across diverse sectors.
Systems Information for Sustainable Farming
Farmers, employees in the agrifood industry, agricultural advisors, agronomists, ecologists, local authorities, members of the community.
Participants will engage in a four-phase process:
(1) Sensemaking: Understanding the complexity of the challenge and its broader system.
(2) Ideation: Generating innovative solutions through design thinking and collaboration.
(3) Sustainability Assessment: Evaluating the environmental, economic, and social impacts of proposed solutions using life cycle thinking.
(4) Communication & Action Planning: Developing actionable strategies and engaging with stakeholders to scale solutions effectively.
(1) Defining sustainability in farming systems: principles and interconnected challenges.
(2) Challenge understanding: Farm visit to observe agricultural practices, residue processing, and engaging with farmers and stakeholders.
(3) Introduction to agri-food residue valorisation: potential applications and opportunities for system transformation.
(4) Systems thinking and complexity: mapping agricultural systems and identifying leverage points for change.
(5) Innovation and design thinking: fostering creativity and collaboration to develop sustainable solutions.
(6) Carbon sequestration and environmental impacts: soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and permanence risks.
(7) Life cycle thinking and sustainability assessment: evaluating environmental and economic trade-offs of solutions.
(8) Developing and communicating actionable strategies: mission statements, strategic plans, and stakeholder engagement.
(9) Final solution presentations: showcasing innovations with feedback from stakeholders and industry experts.
Completing this course will equip you with a strong grasp of systems thinking as a methodology and how to apply it to lead innovation on real-world challenges in the field of sustainable agriculture.
You will develop technical skills in Circular Economy, Green entrepreneurship / intrapreneurship, sustainable agriculture and carbon farming, bioprocessing technologies as well as transversal skills - such as creativity, innovation and systems thinking.
These competencies are highly sought after in roles across the agri-food sector, such as farmers, employees in the agrifood industry (including agricultural consultants and advisors, agronomists and agricultural scientists, environmental scientists, and ecologists), local authorities (policy makers, regulators), and members of the community who want to see sustainable farming practices successfully put into action.
This micro-credential is delivered through the UCD online learning platform (Brightspace) and will consist of:
(1) Lectures and Workshops
(2) Field trips to farms and processing facilities
(3) Team-Based Problem Solving
(4) Stakeholder Engagement
(5) Presentations and Feedback
(6) Reflection and Iterative Learning
A repository of resources will be available to support your learning, and as a UCD student, you will have full access to all UCD student resources.
This is a 5 ECTS micro-credential and involves approximately 100 hours of learner effort.
Applicants must hold a minimum Lower Second Class (2.2) award in an Honours bachelor’s degree. Applicants not meeting this requirement may submit evidence of equivalent professional experience( +5 years) or qualifications as recognition of prior learning (RPL).
The module will be assessed through an individual written rapport, a showcase presentation, and a professional reflective practice log:
- Ideation report: Use systems thinking to generate ideas for your chosen challenge area (individual assignment, 40%)
- Communication and Action Planning: Presentation to showcase your project idea (30%)
- Reflective learning logs (30%)
(1) Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
(2) Group/class Feedback, post-assessment
This module is part of two UCD awards: Graduate Diploma in Environmental Sustainability Implementation; Graduate Diploma in Carbon Accounting & Life Cycle Assessment;
On successful completion of this micro-credential, you will receive credits as per the European Credit and Transfer System. These credits are recognised by the awarding institution as credits aligned to learning completed at postgraduate level.
If you have any questions about this micro-credential, or would like to speak to a UCD staff member, please contact (opens in a new window)microcredentials@ucd.ie.
IKC3 100% Funding Available - Limited Places. An application form for the Fee Subsidy will be sent following application to the module. Fee Subsidies will be offered in line with the eligibility criteria as outlined here and personal statement in fee subsidy application.