HSN706 - Policy and Practice for Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Mark Lawrence |
| Cohort rule: | H511, H517, H616 and H714 students: enrol in online mode only. If you are enrolled in an on campus course, you can enrol in the on campus unit offering and you will need to request a manual enrolment from a Student Adviser in Student Central. If you are enrolled in an online course, you need to enrol into the online unit offering. |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 5 x 2 hour seminars |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 5 x 2 hour online seminars |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
The food we eat and how it affects individual, population and planetary health is shaped by food systems. This unit focuses on the policies needed to transform food systems to be healthy and sustainable. Policies that affect the structure and operation of food systems as well as nutrition policy reference standards (Dietary Guidelines, Nutrient Reference Values and advice on ultra-processed foods) are analysed. Policies will be scrutinised against the principles of ‘Ecological Nutrition’. Topical food policy case studies are explored to illustrate policy practice: food supply chain practices to reduce the environmental ‘foodprint’ as well as food regulation for labelling and fortifying food products to promote healthy and sustainable dietary patterns. Food has environmental, health, economic, social and cultural meanings and inevitably food policy is contested and political – throughout the unit the role of evidence and politics in food policy-making will be analysed.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Evaluate what food policy is, why it's important, and its role in influencing the food system from a public health perspective. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Explain the scientific basis to the Dietary Guidelines for Australians, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, the Nutrient Reference Values, and principles for a sustainable diet. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Analyse those factors that influence how and why food policy is made, including the role of evidence informed practice, ethics, politics and values. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Debate the political nature of food policy and be familiar with relevant practical issues associated with its implementation and evaluation. | GLO2: Communication |
| ULO5 | Explain what food regulation is and its role both in protecting public health and safety in the setting of food standards and in promoting public health as a particularly strong policy instrument. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
| ULO6 | Appreciate critical skills in the core competencies of food policy research and food policy advocacy. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
Assessment
Trimester 2:| Assessment description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Assignment | 3000 words | 60% |
|
| Assessment 2: Assignment | 2000 words | 40% |
|
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for HSN706 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.