Global food security sits at a nexus. Do we continue with unsustainable practices benefiting farmers in high and middle income countries, while small-holders barely produce enough to support themselves? Or can we find a new way for agriculture that delivers food in an equitable and sustainable manner? Envisioning agriculture in 2050 needs to take into account the global population, the planets’ biodiversity, global climate change and the current inequities in the system.
The MPhil in Crop Science will explore new ways of thinking about what agriculture should be in 2050 and how we might get to that point. We will take a broad view of potential solutions, with an emphasis on practical, scientific approaches, from genetic engineering to regenerative agriculture. Field-based study is made possible through our partnership with the National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB). Our aim is to train future leaders to take creative approaches to global food security.
A major theme of the course will be connecting knowledge across scales to provide the students with an integrated perspective on food security that spans plant biology, global ecology, conservation and economics.
Research Topics in Crop Science
- The future of sustainable agriculture
- Crop development, metabolism & physiology
- Plant-biotic interactions
- Crop Improvement
Methods and approaches in Crop Science
- Quantitative Genetics (NIAB)
- Crop transformation and gene editing (NIAB)
Please note that the list of topics is an illustrative example and can change from year to year depending on the availability of academic staff.
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