This laboratory course will furnish an understanding of the concepts behind parametrizing sustainability, starting from more historical approaches to modern norms. To this aim, the two modules will look at the various aspects starting from a concrete example to finish in complex certification schemes.

The module on 'Food Production As Example for Sustainability Throughout The Centuries' aims to provide students with a broad overview of the different meanings of the term sustainability through the historical perspective of the development of food production.
By considering a wide range of major sourcing strategies and their progress over time (from hunting, gathering, fishing, farming and ranching to the Blue Revolution), we will assess the impact of agriculture on the environment and how different ecosystems have been adapted and shaped by human needs. Students will be able to assess the environmental impact according to different modes of supply.

The module 'Current Certification Mechanisms and Guidelines' aims at providing the students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills in Environmental and sustainability labelling, including those based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standards. The laboratory will focus on the approaches developed over time for measuring, managing, and communicating the environmental impacts of products and services. The course combines foundational concepts with hands-on experience. Students will learn to conduct LCA studies, interpret results, and understand how environmental and sustainability performance can be effectively communicated through labelling schemes. Environmental and social dimensions will be primarily addressed, and global standards presented, such as the global standards for sustainability impacts, which enable any organization – large or small, private or public – to understand and report on impacts on the economy, environment and people in a comparable and credible way. Certifications schemes will entail those for investors, policymakers, capital markets, and consumers.

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course the student will have a fundamental understanding of:
• the impact of agriculture on the environment;
• adaption of ecosystems;
• assessing the environmental impact according to different modes of supply;
• the input data needed for certification of sustainability;
• sustainability certification schemes;
• difficulties in certifying.

Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
• apply concepts and norms for certifying sustainability;
• adapt certification schemes to changing circumstances.
• develop ideas for novel certification schemes.

Making judgements
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
• apply the acquired knowledge in various contexts;
• transfer the concepts and approaches introduced in a certain context to connected fields;
• elaborate the concepts of sustainable and green processing discussed in the course.

Communication skills
At the end of the course the student should be able to
• analyse problems in the areas covered by the course in a clear and concise way.
• explain orally with a suitable language the objectives, the procedures and the results of the elaborations carried
out.

Learning skills
At the end of the course the student should be able to different from those presented during the course, and to understand the topics covered in the scientific literature concerning the sustainability issue.