This course will introduce students to advanced concepts associated with agri-food system innovation and adaptation. This course will build on understanding gained in ENVS2023 and ENVS6223 and explore how innovation and adaptation:

• can identify future opportunities and mitigate threats or productivity declines in agri-food systems;
• can alter existing trajectories away from commodity-specific and incremental change, towards transformational change;
• can ensure that a more balanced approach to delivering agri-food system outcomes is achieved, that considers multiple outcomes e.g. economic, environmental and social;
• must operate in tandem with an improved regulatory environment in order to achieve sustained agri-food system outcomes.

The course is intended to provide students the knowledge and skills to be able to identify where disruptions may occur in existing agri-food systems and formulate technical and policy-based adaptation options that will serve to mitigate these disruptions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Explain the interconnectivity of domain knowledge critical to the modern agricultural system.
2. Describe innovation and change within the agrifood and environmental systems.
3. Critically review strategies for managing innovation and change within agricultural systems.
4. Engage, inform and influence stakeholders in the agri system.
5. Describe and compare specialised knowledge and skills in the area of agricultural innovation.

Field Trips

In Week 11 (Wednesday 2:30 pm to 5 pm) we will visit Capital Brewing Company in Fyshwick to discuss the supply and value chain innovation implemented by the company. There will be no additional costs associated with this field trip.

Please see the CoS Field Trip page for more information.

Additional Course Costs

Not applicable

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.
• To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:
• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.
• Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Two lectures and a workshop exploring agricultural supply and value chains and where innovation can occur to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience of food systems.	Workshop exercise that gets students to pick a specific food commodity from a list of six and to map out where this product is produced, manufactured and distributed.
2	The two lectures aimed at providing an understanding of the historical changes to Australian Agriculture and the drivers of these changes.	Students will be expected to work in groups and review materials related to that historical expansion of agriculture across Australia. Groups will be asked to provide an in-class assessment of the key drivers of this expansion.
3	The two lectures and workshop will examine the policy drivers that currently encourage and inhibit innovation in food value chains. We explore a number of case studies of government policies targeted at enhancing innovation and identify approaches that have worked and approaches that have not and why.	Everyone should try and skim through the text belowMegatrends shaping Australian Agriculturehttps://daff.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/search/asset/1031443/0 Groups of two will work through the National Agricultural Innovation Agendahttps://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/sitecollectiondocuments/agriculture-food/innovation/full-report-agricultural-innovation.PDFGroup 1 examine Chapter 5. Recommendations 1 and 5– Strengthening ecosystem leadership, cohesion and culture; Next generation innovation platformGroup 2 examine Chapter 5. Recommendations 2 and 4 – Funding and investment; Strengthening regionsGroup 3 examine Chapter 5. Recommendations 3 and Chapter 6 – World-class innovation practices and Roadmap for the vision.
4	The two lectures will examine the current trends in Australian agricultural market reform and explore the implications for innovation. We will also discuss some of the challenges faced Australian Agricultural RDCs in supporting innovation.	Everyone should try and skim through the text below.“Value of Science and Technology – Opportunities for Australia to overcome innovation challenges and realise greater value from innovation investments – November 2020” 20-00246_SER-FUT_REPORT_ValueScienceTechnology_WEB_201029.pdfEach person will work through a single “Challenge and Opportunity”. They include:·       Business Investment·       Commercialising R&D·       Skills, Knowledge and capability·       Adoption and diffusion·       Social and environmental impactsYou will be expected to summaries and present the main issues associated with the challenge and the opportunity. Critically review the opportunities for bias, gaps etc.
5	Two lectures this week. The first from Sam Brown Director of Agricultural Innovation Australia (AIA) and the second the second from Dr Larelle McMillan from CSIRO, on challenges with the commercialisation of research.	Quiz 1 will take place during the workshop session for week five i.e. Thursday 22 August 2024 between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. The quiz will cover the course content from the previous 4 weeks.
6	During week 6 we will discuss the role of public and private investment in catalysing agricultural innovation as well as the role of agricultural innovation in emerging economies.	Students will be expected to work in groups and review materials that examine the role of public and private investment in catalysing agricultural innovation. Students will be asked to provide an in-class assessment of key difference between public and private investment. ENVS3042 - The Tutorial review will be no more than 2000 words outlining the major difference between the roles of public and private investment in agricultural innovation. The review will be due on Thursday 19 September at 12pm.
7	The process of discovery, testing, scaling and commercialization of innovations all require effective partnerships and for those partnerships to be equitable and long-standing. The two lectures will cover the intersection between carbon, nature-based solutions and agriculture.	Students will be expected to work in groups and review materials that examine how carbon farming and natural capital accounting intersect. Students will be asked to provide an in-class assessment of the intersecting issues.
8	We explore the benefits agricultural innovation has had on human health as well as the concept of responsible innovation.	Quiz 2 will take place during the workshop session i.e. Thursday 26 September 2024 between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. The quiz will cover content from Week 5 to Week 7
9	The lectures and workshop will introduce a practical system's thinking and modelling approach that has been developed to help a research or policy-making group come to terms with the feedback dynamics of their system-of-interest. This approach is entitled Collaborative Conceptual Modelling (CCM) and serves to increase awareness of three critical sets of interactions in value chains: (a) the feedback interactions, (b) the interpersonal interactions, and (c) the interactions between studies of the past and plans for the future.During the workshop session, students will continue to develop the tools required to describe the systems, via practical examples. Students will be expected to develop at systems model and present this orally in the last week of the course i.e., 21 and 22 October.
10	Global warming and price volatility are increasing uncertainty for the future of agriculture. Therefore, agricultural systems must be sustainable not only under average conditions, but also under extreme changes of productivity, economy, environment and social context. In these two lectures and workshop, we review four concepts: stability, robustness, vulnerability and resilience in response to Future Climate Change.	During the workshop session, students will be provided with a number of papers that outline future climate change impacts for Australian primary industries. Students will be expected to examine these papers in the group session and then subsequently draft a critical review of the major climatic risks and likely disruptions to Australian cereal and livestock industries. ENVS3042The review will be no more than 3000 words outlining the major climatic risks, possible impacts. The review will be due by 12pm on Thursday 24 October.
11	We will explore the psychology of adaptation as well as the role of partnerships in catalysing and supporting innovation.	Field trip  Canberra Capital Brewing Company
12	This week will be reserved for oral presentation associated with systems diagrams and CCM development.	Group Oral presentations on the CCMs developed as part of Week 9 lectures and workshop sessions

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Quizzes	30 %	*	1,2,5
Workshop review activity	20 %	19/09/2024	1,2,3
Group Oral Presentation	30 %	*	2,3,4
Research Report	20 %	24/10/2024	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Quizzes

Two quizzes will be undertaken. The first will be in week 5 (Thursday 22 August , between 2 pm and 4 pm) and the second in week 8 (Thursday 26 September, between 2 pm and 4 pm). The first quiz will cover the materials presented in Weeks 1 to 4 (i.e. agricultural value chains, value chain innovation and innovation output versus innovation efficiency). The second quiz will cover the materials presented in Weeks 5 to 7 (i.e. innovation diffusion, farm business decision-making, stability/robustness/vulnerability/resilience of value chains, responsible innovation). Each quiz will count 15% towards your final grade. Moderated quizzes will be returned within 2 weeks of completion.

Assessment Task 2

Workshop review activity

During the workshop session in week 6 Students will be expected to work in groups and review materials that examine the role of public and private investment in catalysing agricultural innovation. Students will be asked to provide an in-class assessment of key difference between public and private investment. The review will be no more than 2000 words. The review will be due by 12 pm on Thursday 19 September. Moderated review reports will be returned within 2 weeks of submission.

Assessment Task 3

Group Oral Presentation

During Week 10 students will be taken through a facilitated exercise in developing collaborative conceptual models. Students will be organised into groups to apply the CCM learning's to describe an Australian value chain. In Week 12 (Monday 21 October and Tuesday 22 October, between 10 am and 11 am) these groups will report back during the workshop session and provide a description of the CCM and the rationale for its development. Oral presentations will be made during the Lecture periods. Group oral marks will be available one week after completion.

Assessment Task 4

Research Report

Students will be required to choose a specific Australian food commodity and map out the geographical extent of the value chain, describing the different nodes of the chain and potential exposure of these nodes to climate variability and change. The assessment is due in the last week of Semester 2 (Thursday 24 October at 6 pm). The word limit for this assessment is 4000 words. Moderated research reports will be returned within 2 weeks of submission.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned to students via email.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission is not permitted

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students