In this subject you will be introduced to many different systems that produce the food you eat every day. You will learn why these systems are the way they are, and look at economic, ethical and sustainability issues that occur when producing food and fibre. Some questions you might ask are: What can our local farmers grow in order to make a profit? Is it safe to use chemicals when growing our food, and how can we find out? What are genetically modified foods? How sustainable is eating meat in terms of climate change?
By 2050, the world will have to produce at least DOUBLE the amount of food it is producing now. This means there are huge opportunities in agriculture/horticulture. In this subject you will learn that these opportunities include milking cows and driving tractors, but also working for banks and big investment firms, using emerging technologies to increase food production, and travel around the world. You DO NOT have to be from a farm to become involved in this subject. Agriculture is about much more than farming – if you’re not sure how, come and find out!
VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies