Program Overview

Introduction to AGR301 Agricultural Systems

AGR301 Agricultural Systems is a university program that adopts a systems approach to studying agriculture. This approach emphasizes the interactions and complexity in agriculture, including the people component, and provides a better understanding of the true nature of agriculture with its many facets.

Subject Description

The subject is designed to manage and understand change in agriculture. It uses a holistic approach, which is in contrast to the reductionist scientific and technology problem-solving method. The program aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of agricultural systems, including production, scientific, ecological, social, political, economic, and management aspects.

Subject Outlines

The subject outlines are available for recent sessions, and students can view them to get an idea of the course structure and assessment tasks.

Subject Information

Grading System

The grading system used in this subject is HD/FL.

Duration

The duration of the subject is one session.

School

The subject is offered by the School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences.

Enrolment Restrictions

Students must have completed 2 years of the BAppSci (Agric) course or a sequence of study considered satisfactory by the Subject Coordinator to enroll in this subject.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Explain how Systems approaches enable learning and improving complex and ill-defined situations in agriculture
• Explain how Systems concepts are used to describe and analyse complex agricultural situations
• Apply a Systems Approach (methodology) to learn about and improve rural situations
• Communicate (in seminar and literature review) Agricultural Systems concepts that enable an understanding of complex real-world problems and situations
• Appreciate the general philosophy and theory underpinning the Systems Approach in agriculture
• Appreciate the Systems Approach as an alternative way of thinking about change in agriculture

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:

• General systems theory
• Agriculture as a human activity system
• The interface between ecology, agroecosystems, and social systems
• Social research methods
• Systems analysis, including situation improvement, learning, and problem-solving in agriculture
• The economic, social, cultural, and political influences affecting change in agricultural systems

Residential School

The subject contains a 3-day Compulsory Residential School.