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

This course is co-taught with undergraduate students but assessed separately.

Learning Outcomes

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

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

Field Trips

One field trip will be undertaken as part of this course and one visit from a local agri-food business will take place as part of this course. In Week 2 a representative from Southern Harvest, a farmer led, member organisation focused on growing local and regional food communities in the ACT and South East NSW, will visit and discuss the growth of the business and the innovation that has been required to support this growth. In Week 10 we will visit National Brewing Company to discuss the supply and value chain innovation implemented by the company.

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). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

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.
2	The two lectures are aimed at providing an understanding of value chains as systems that create value for consumers and how that value is shared amongst members of the chain. A range of methods and tools will enable students to identify the facilitators and inhibitors of co-innovation as well as analyse and improve product flows, communication and marketing information flows and boundary-spanning relationships.	A presentation by Southern Harvest during the workshop period.
3	On the Global Innovation Index, Australia is ranked 20th overall, 31st for innovation outputs and only 76th in the world for innovation efficiency (defined as output per input based on turning research into commercial outcomes). 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.
4	The two lectures will examine the innovation needs in both developing and developed country agricultural systems. We will explore the differences in innovation output and efficiency in the context of these two economies. We explore effective ways to support innovation in both contexts and explore the need for a hybrid model for value chains that are multi-national and span both types of economies.	Quiz 1 will take place during the workshop session for week four.
5	The two lectures and workshop will provide students with an overview and understanding of the role that agricultural advisers play in supporting decision making in farm businesses, focusing on decisions to adopt new or modified technologies and management practices. The lectures will explain the diffusion of innovation in rural industries as well as the barriers and synergies to innovation.
6	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.
7	New digital technologies in agriculture have the potential to bring productivity and efficiency gains, as well as improved environmental outcomes, to the sector. However, in the case of the Australian Agri-Technology innovation system, farmers want to know who will be using their data, for what purpose, what value will be generated and how benefits will be distributed. So, as these new areas of science and technology emerge, there is a need to equip all those involved with the skills to navigate the fundamental socio-technical impacts. We will explore the multiple dimensions of ethical and responsible innovation as part of the lectures and workshop activities.	Submission of week 6 workshop review activity, by 12pm on Monday 20 September.
8	Managing food safety hazards in supply chains is an increasingly important aspect of food systems, especially as they become more globalised. Risk management policies are moving from a prescriptive-basis, to ones focused on quantitative science-based outcomes, such as Food Safety Objectives. This approach integrates quantitative risk assessment, predictive models and other science-based information to meet food safety standards set by government and industry. The two lectures will explore digital supply chain management.	Quiz 2 will take place during during 3pm to 5pm on Thursday 30 September.
9	The lectures and workshop will introduce a practical systems 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.	Research Report due at 12pm on the Thursday 7th of October.
10	Field trip 2 will take place on the day of your lectures and workshop. Those participating in the field trip are asked to meet outside the Forestry main entrance at 12:30pm.	Students who are unable to make this field trip will be required to review a recording of the trip. students will be encouraged to submit questions that can be put to the staff.
11	As part of the two lectures and workshop we will examine how innovation can sometime expose food value chains to greater impacts from extreme events and the competing metrics of value chain performance. We will explore the drive for improving vertical integration and other efficiencies against the value of buffers and system redundancy.
12	Food Agility is a $150m Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), that strives to make research collaboration easier and more impactful. A member of the CRC will describe the role they play in brokering partnerships between agrifood, technology and research organisations and the key lessons learnt regarding the key ingredients for successful and prosperous partnerships.	Group Oral presentations on the the CCMs developed as part of Week 9 lectures and workshop sessions.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Quizzes	30 %	*	1,2,5
Workshop review activity	30 %	20/09/2021	1,2,3
Group Oral Presentation	10 %	28/10/2021	2,3,4
Research Report	30 %	07/10/2021	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 Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

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 Integrity . 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 four and the second in week 8 (i.e. 19 August 2021 and 30 September 2021) . The first quiz will cover the materials presented in Weeks 1 to 3 (i.e. Agricultural value chains, value chain innovation and innovation output versus innovation efficiency). The second quiz will cover the materials presented in Weeks 4 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 provided with a number of papers that outline future climate change impacts for Australian primary industries. Students will be expected to review the papers during the workshop session and draft a critical review of the major climatic risks and likely disruptions to Australian cereal and livestock industries. Students are also expected to highlight possible options that might mitigation the risk to these two industries. The review will be no more than 3000 words outlining the major climatic risks, possible impacts and opportunities to mitigate these impacts. The review will be due the following week by 12pm on Thursday 20 September. Moderated review reports will be returned within 2 weeks of submission.

Assessment Task 3

Group Oral Presentation

During Week 9 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 describing an Australian value chain. In Week 12 these groups will report back during the workshop session and provide a description of the CCM and the rationale for it's development. 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. Students are also required to identify the nodes most at risk from climate change and the possible mitigation strategies that could be employed to reduce both risk and exposure. The assessment is due at 12pm on the Thursday 7th of October. The word limit for this assessment is 5000 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. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

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

Individual assessment tasks may be allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• 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

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

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 Diversity and inclusion 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 and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students