Course Overview

Cities are at the forefront of today’s sustainability challenges, as rapid urbanization intensifies pressures on food security, supply chains, and ecological resilience. Cities—where over half the global population now lives—must reconcile growing food demand with land constraints, climate risks, and social inequities. Through a blend of practical and theoretical learning, participants will gain valuable knowledge and experience, preparing them for sustainable solutions to food system challenges.

Target group

This course is designed for a dynamic audience, including:

• Bachelor and Master students in agricultural economics, ecology, agricultural sciences, environmental science, or related fields.

• Early-career researchers and industry innovators seeking to deepen their expertise in sustainable food systems.

• Professionals from food sustainability organisations, and non-profits aiming to implement sustainable food production strategies.

• Officials and policymakers involved in agricultural policy, environmental regulations, and sustainable development initiatives.

Aim and learning outcomes

After successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate a transdisciplinary understanding of urban food systems, integrating ecology, policy, and socio-economic dynamics inurbancontexts.

• Understand the key dimensions of food security, and identify major risks and emerging concerns.

• Analyze key trade-offs in urban and peri-urban food production, including land-use conflicts, resource efficiency (water, energy), and ecosystem impacts (soil health, biodiversity loss).

• Evaluate case studies of urban food innovations to identify scalable solutions.

• Explain the importance of impact evaluation for policy making.

• Construct a theory of change and results chain.

Instructor:

Prof. Xueqin Zhu, Wageningen University & Research

Expertise:Sustainable Food Systems Transition, Environmental Policy Economics, Integrated Environmental-Economic Modeling

Prof. Xueqin Zhu is an associate professor at Wageningen University & Research and previously worked at the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) in the Netherlands. She has long provided policy advice to the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on the social discount rate. Prof. Xueqin Zhu has published more than 60 papersin well-recognized international journalssuch asNature Food,Nature Communications,Journal of Environmental Economicsand ManagementandJournal of Agricultural Economicsand serves as a reviewer for international journals such as Nature Climate Change.

Prof. Assem Abu Hatab, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences/ Institute for Nordic African Studies

Expertise:Urban food security metrics, Middle East/North Africa cases

Prof. Assem Abu Hatab is a professor in the Department of Economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Institute for Nordic African Studies. His research fields mainly include agricultural production systems and food security in developing countries, urban expansion and resource utilization in developing countries, agricultural product trade and its policy analysis. He has received numerous World Bank, European Union and Arab countries’economic and social development funds. Prof. Assem Abu Hatab has published more than 50 papers in SCI and SSCI journals such asEcological Economics,Agricultural EconomicsandCities.

Prof. Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah,Luleå University of Technology, Sweden

Expertise: Agri-tech policy, Global South transformations

Prof. Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah is an associate professor in Economics at the Luleå University of Technology. His research fields mainly includeEnvironmental and natural resource economics (forestry, climate change, energy, etc.), agricultural and food economics, & development economics. Prof. Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah has published more than 30 papers in SCI and SSCI journals such asFood Policy,Food SecurityandEnergyEconomics, and enjoys a high international reputation in the field of environmental and development economics.