Communicating sustainability in the food sector - examples from science and business

Objectives:
Many organizations have communicated their sustainable behavior, and are increasingly under public and legal pressure to take action. However, sustainability is complex, and its use in the public discourse has been criticized as superficial and insincere, for example in corporate reporting. Different concepts and measurements, such as the Stockholm Resilience Centre's Planetary Boundaries, exist to describe aspects of sustainability. We aim to develop a nuanced understanding of sustainability concepts and measurements and derive a scientifically sound communication product. 

In this project we will:

  • Learn how to develop concrete research questions and project goals in the context of social sciences and management studies in the food sector.
  • Engage critically with sustainability concepts and their use in different communication formats such as reports issued by companies, science communication by universities or other organizations in food systems.
  • Develop communication and research tools and skills to make informed judgements about complex sustainability issues.
  • Apply our learning to the development of a communication product, such as a video clip, social media campaign or science slam.
  • Learn and apply methods of agile project management.

Ziel der Veranstaltung ist es,

  • die Rollen von Akteuren in der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft für eine nachhaltige Agrar- und Lebensmittelwirtschaft zu kennen und kritisch reflektieren zu können;
  • zu vermitteln, was verantwortungsbewusstes Handeln von Betrieben und anderen Organisationen und Initiativen kennzeichnet und welche Problemstellungen und Lösungsansätze dafür existieren sowie
  • ausgewählte Theorien, Konzepte und Ansätze des Nachhaltigkeitsmanagements beschreiben und analysieren zu können.

The goal of the module is to deepen students' awareness of strategic decision-making in agri-food companies, reflecting contemporary sustainable issues in global supply chains.