提高农业食品系统的有效性和可持续性对于应对全球人口增长，快速城市化，粮食与环境安全以及饮食与健康的挑战至关重要。这些挑战影响到富裕的中低收入国家。解决这些问题是使成千上万人摆脱贫困的关键，也是许多联合国可持续发展目标的核心。在爱丁堡大学，我们已经为在国家和全球范围内解决这些问题做出了重要贡献。我们与苏格兰农业，兽医和食品科学乡村学院（SRUC）联合提交的论文在2014年卓越研究框架（REF）中在研究能力方面名列英国首位。研究活跃人员对所有课程的重大贡献确保了学生将在整个计划中了解并参与主题研究主题。
There are fewer bigger global challenges than feeding the growing human population well, while protecting the natural systems on which we depend. With the world population expected to reach 11 billion by the end of this century and demands on systems already at an all-time high, it is essential that we find new ways to feed the growing population without destroying the planet. This programme crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries to produce graduates ready to address the challenge of achieving sustainable food security in the 21st century. You will simultaneously engage with the detailed scientific methods required to understand the physical dimensions of sustainable food systems, and the socio-economic theories required to achieve productive policy change across diverse societies.