New sustainable food MOOC pinpoints jobs of the future
3 Apr 2018
The first ever MOOC – massive open online course – on the use of sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean has highlighted the growth potential for new jobs in the sector.
Created by the Barilla Centre for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation with the University of Siena and the United Nations’ SDG Academy, the 10 module course has been supervised by leading academics including Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Riccardo Valentini of Nobel Peace Prize winner, the IPCC.
It addresses the effect of climate change upon the Mediterranean region, claiming summers there are warming at a rate 40% higher than overall global warming, while rainfall is expected to decrease between 2 to 7% between 2025 and 2050.
The need to adapt food production to changing circumstances will create a growth in new job roles, in addition to recently created occupations built around 3D printing, agronomy, geneticists and hydrology, says the Barilla Centre.
Occupations likely to develop and expand include that of food designer – capable, among other things, of replacing polluting material with biodegradable material capable of providing nourishment.
Another growth area is in innovation broking for agriculture, says the centre. This will involve sourcing financing for projects that can revolutionise the agro-food system.
Commenting on the MOOC launch, Sonia Massari, teacher at Gustolab International remarked: “There are many university courses on food, from agriculture and food science, to tourism. Currently, the job market demands skills and knowledge that schools are not adequately supplying.”
The course, entitled Sustainable Food Systems: a Mediterranean Perspective can be viewed here.
