2023 EIT Food Activities - 21015-23 Digital Learning (MOOC)

这项在线课程将持续两周时间。在第一周，我们定义了我们所指的‘争议’，即对许多人来说很重要的问题的长期公开分歧或争议；以表达相反的、甚至是棘手的观点为标志的争议，双方或更多的人对具有不确定性甚至不同的价值体系的问题进行竞争。我们注意到，即使创造性地处理，争议也可能造成无益的僵局并破坏公众凝聚力。因此，他们呼吁清晰的论证和合理的解释。在第二周，我们将解决世界上最主要的、正在出现的争议之一：热带生物多样性丰富的地区棕榈油产量的增加，给地球系统带来了多重压力。我们了解到棕榈油在全球食品体系中已经变得多么普遍：它是我们日常消费和使用的许多食品和家居用品的一种成分。它还被用作工业润滑剂，包括在食品加工中。该课程承认，棕榈油生产是在棕榈油生产国越来越多的国家迫切需要发展的情况下进行的，棕榈油已成为一种有价值的出口作物。我们回顾了已发表的消息来源，这些消息清楚地表明，尽管棕榈油对环境造成了压力，但与大豆、向日葵或油菜等其他选择相比，棕榈油在最大化每公顷产量、同时减少化肥和杀虫剂使用量等环境指标方面是最不糟糕的选择之一。我们探讨了可持续棕榈油圆桌会议(RSPO)的工作，以及许多其他参与者在改善棕榈油价值链实践方面的利害关系。我们密切关注欧盟的最新政策，以及这些政策可能对印度尼西亚和马来西亚这两个主要棕榈油生产国产生的影响。该课程包括与该领域专家的面谈，并审查他们的观点。最后，本课程鼓励学习者考虑自己作为公民和消费者对棕榈油生产、加工和消费所明确概括的无数争议的立场和行动。该课程由雷丁大学开发，EIT-Food提供资金。课程负责人是安德鲁·安斯利博士，邮箱是Reading.ac.uk

“This online course runs over two weeks. In Week One, we define what we mean by ‘controversy’, namely that it is a prolonged public disagreement or dispute over a matter that is important to many people; a dispute marked by the expression of opposing, even intractable views, with two or more sides contesting a matter that is characterised by uncertainty and even divergent value systems. We note that even if addressed creatively, controversies can generate unhelpful stalemates and undermine public cohesion. So they call for lucid argument and rational explanation. In Week Two, we tackle one of the world’s major, emerging controversies: the increasing production of palm oil, in biodiversity-rich parts of the tropics with multiple resulting pressures being placed on the Earth System. We learn just how ubiquitous palm oil has become in the global food system: it is an ingredient in very many of the foodstuffs and household items we all consume and use on a daily basis. It is also used as an industrial lubricant, including in food processing. The course recognises that palm oil production takes place amidst the pressing need for development in the increasing number of countries where it is produced and has become a valuable export crop. We review published sources that clearly show that while putting pressure on the environment, palm oil is one of the ‘least worst’ options in relation to environmental indices such as maximising yield per hectare, while reducing fertiliser use and pesticide use, when compared to other options, such as soya, sunflower or oil seed rape. We explore the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the stakes that many other actors have for improving practices in the palm oil value chain. We pay close attention to the latest policies of the European Union and the impacts these are likely to have in the two key palm oil-producing countries, Indonesia and Malaysia. The course includes interviews with specialists in the field and examines their perspectives. Finally, the course encourages learners to consider their own positionality and actions as citizens and as consumers in relation to the myriad controversies so clearly encapsulated by the production, processing and consumption of palm oil. The course was developed by the University of Reading, with funding from EIT-Food. The Course Leader is Dr. Andrew Ainslie a.m.ainslie@reading.ac.uk”