Food Production and Environment

This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment programs.

The business of food production is an area of human activity with a large and intimate interaction with the environment. As the global population rises, demand for food and food production increases. This demand must be met through a combination of increased productivity of existing agricultural land and by bringing new arable land into production. This is a serious challenge for two main reasons. Firstly, there are environmental impacts of agricultural activities which can be significant and which can be difficult to assess and contain, as the effects range from loss of biodiversity due to increasing farm size, production of biofuels versus food, non-point source pollution of rivers and lakes, and a loss of arable land to urbanization. Secondly, a growing population needs support from a number of different land uses (e.g., urban growth, transportation, water resource use, timber resources, etc.), many of which conflict, and all of which compete with food production land requirements. As the available land resource decreases, land-use competition for what remains will grow more fierce, making the need for smart and informed decision-making related to food production increasingly critical.

• Canadian citizenship or Canadian permanent residency
• 23 years of age or older by the start of classes (21 years of age for the Faculties of Management and Music)
• No high school, college or university level studies within the last five years that would constitute a basis for admission
• Two letters of reference
• Mature Student Statements:
  • Letter of Intent, including description of all educational experiences
  • Complete resume of employment and other activities, highlighting points relevant to the application
• In some cases, an interview may be required
• Demonstrate academic potential by successfully completing a minimum number of specific courses (see 'Minimum grades & prerequisites' below) within the three-year period prior to admission and no later than May 15th of the year of application for the intended program (May 1 for some programs). These courses, which may be completed at CEGEP or university, will also fulfill prerequisites for the intended program. 

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