Sustainable Practices for Food Businesses
- Level(s) of Study: Professional / Short course
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Course Fee:
Available at no cost to eligible individuals (see criteria below).
* - Start Date(s): TBC
- Duration: Six sessions - Online - 15 hours
- Study Mode(s): Short course
- Campus: City Campus
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
Please note: This course is delivered through the Reskill & Recover project, which is part funded by the European Social Fund. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is pleased to offer free (fully funded) places on this course to support employees of small and medium businesses that are based in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire.
This course will support professionals within the food and drink sector, which is a priority sector for the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as the related hospitality and retail sectors which have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
This course is delivered by a range of senior lecturers from the Food Science and Technology academic team, based in the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences (ARES) at Nottingham Trent University. With a focus on the food and drink sector, ARES will be providing sustainability training to food manufacturers and those working in the wider industry at Level 4.
This course is designed to empower learners with the skills and knowledge to improve the sustainability of their business practices, whilst also improving profitability, reducing waste, increasing consumer confidence in their products and increasing market share.
Participants will also be given a chance to learn more about wider sustainability and sustainable development, including the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What you’ll study
Teaching and learning will take place remotely.
During this course you will:
Learn about sustainable development and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
| Develop lifecycle analysis skills | This is essential for making good decisions that improve sustainability at different stages of your food business, from the raw material selection to the consumer; whilst maintaining profit growth and increasing the confidence of your customers |
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| Food waste management | This is aimed at using materials as efficiently as possible and to reduce waste. In addition, it serves as a tool for reducing the cost of production |
| Energy and water efficiency | Since consumers are becoming increasingly mindful of their purchasing habits and environmental impact. This course would be useful for acquiring skills to reduce significant environmental impacts of your business practices in relation to energy and water utilisation. Thereby maintaining the brand loyalty of your customers |
| Sustainable product development | This course is aimed at inculcating sustainability aspects in the early stages of product development for long term environmental and financial benefits |
| The importance of sourcing local and seasonal ingredients and establishing networks | This is an avenue to equip you with methods of reducing carbon footprints in your business. You will learn to establish networks with local suppliers of raw materials |
| Introduction to sustainable marketing and packaging, including QR codes | This entails dynamic marketing strategies and engaging the participation of your customers using QR codes. This is geared towards increasing the trustworthiness of your brand |
| Simple website designs for a sustainable food product | You will learn the basics required to design simple websites where you can market your food products effectively. Such websites should provide a platform where more information about your products can be found |
As a result of completing the course, you will be able to demonstrate:
- Explain how the SDGs apply to your employers food business
- Communicate qualities of sustainable food production to consumers
- Identify the most appropriate treatment of food waste based on the food waste hierarchy
- Calculate energy and water efficiency for simple processes
- Use basic LCA software for packaging of food products
What you’ll gain:
You will receive a CPD certificate upon successful completion of the course.
Should the assessment be successfully completed, the course provides 5 NTU undergraduate-level credits.
Entry requirements
To be eligible to apply for a place on this course you must be employed by a small or medium business (under 250 employees) in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire.
No previous qualifications or experience is needed to access this course.
If you have any queries about this course, please email: brackshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk.
If this course is of interest but you or your company do not meet the eligibility criteria for a funded place, please contact us to find out about dates for other occurrences.
Fees and funding
This course is available at no cost to eligible participants.