Fruit and vegetables – sustainable cultivation, diet and health impact

Course Type: Applied Blended Challenge (ABC) Programme

 

Duration and Timeline:

• Course components and contact hours: 15 synchronous online, 25 hrs on-site + 45 hrs independent and group work
• Online component: 18– 21 May 2026 (Warsaw: Central European Time (CET) UTC+2h)
• On-site component: 08–11 June 2026, It will take place in Gdańsk (Poland) Follow-up / reflection: 18 June 2026(online)

 

Award, Credits and Certification

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive receive 3 ECTS credits and a certificate of attendance

Organised by:

Medical University of Gdańsk (Poland) Lead and Host Institution

Maciej Tankiewicz, PhD, DSc Eng., Associate Professor

Lecturers: Milena Lachowicz PhD, Representatives of the Division of Environmental Toxicology MUG

Santarem Polytechnic University (Portugal))

Joana Ferreira

LIK (Lithuania)

Asta Ramaskeviciene, Gitana Vyciene

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Spain)

Mª Carmen Romero Ferreiro

Latvian Academy of Culture (Latvia)

Aija Lūse

UNIVERSITATEA CONSTANTIN BRANCUSI TARGU JIU (Romania)

Schiopu Emil Catalin

 

External stakeholders that will be involved in the course:

University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk (Poland)

Malinogród Gdynia – fruit plantation, tourist attraction (Poland)

Allmicroalgae (Portugal)

The Horticultural Research and Development Station Targu Jiu (Romania)

 

Course Description and Learning Objectives

This course explores the role of fruit and vegetables from farm to fork, focusing on how they are grown, their place in a healthy diet, and their impact on human health and the environment. Students will learn about sustainable cultivation practices, nutritional benefits, and the ways fruit and vegetable consumption influences public health. By connecting agriculture, diet, and sustainability, the course highlights why increasing fruit and vegetable intake is vital for both personal health and a more sustainable food system.

 

Course Description:

• Online sessions: Online lectures will introduce the key concepts of sustainable cultivation, nutrition, and the health impacts of fruit and vegetable consumption. Introduction to food safety and food contamination. Students will engage in group discussions, preparatory readings. Dates: 18–21 May 2026.
• On-site sessions: Four-day intensive Programme combining workshops, practical field activities, and experiments in the laboratory. Students will interact directly with local stakeholders (farmers and health experts) to explore real-world challenges and solutions. Dates: 08–11 June 2026 in Gdańsk (Poland).
• Follow-up / reflection: Online group presentations from laboratory reports and advertising campaigns; there will also be an opportunity to share insights from the course. Date: 18.06.2026 (online)

 

Specific learning objectives include:

• Understanding the impact of climate change on the availability and quality of fresh food
• Learning about sustainable farming practices and food contamination risks
• Learning about product life cycle assessment and one health approach
• Familiarisation with food certification and its characteristics
• The impact of food on health, eating habits and quality of life.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Remember & understand – the principles of sustainable fruit and vegetable cultivation and their impact on the environment and health.
   • Teaching methods: Lectures, guest talks.
   • Assessment: Short quizzes, reflection notes.
2. Apply – demonstrating how sustainable agricultural practices can improve environmental outcomes and food quality.
   • Teaching methods: Case studies, field visits, practical demonstrations.
   • Assessment: Field reports, group exercises.
3. Analyse – investigating the links between fruit and vegetable consumption, dietary patterns and health outcomes. Assessment of fresh food contamination.
   • Teaching methods: Data analysis workshops, literature reviews, group discussions.
   • Assessment: Analytical essays, laboratory reports.
4. Evaluate – Critically assess food policies, and dietary recommendations in terms of health and sustainability. How to deal with contaminated food.
   • Teaching methods: Debates, critical reading sessions.
   • Assessment: Group presentations.
5. Create – Propose evidence-based strategies to promote healthier diets and more sustainable fruit and vegetable production systems. How to encourage consumers to eat fresh food instead of processed food. Advertising campaigns.
   • Teaching methods: Design thinking workshops.
   • Assessment: Group presentations.

Which students would find this course useful?

This course is suitable for students from ACE²-EU partner universities enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate Programmes in the following fields:

• • Environmental and public health,
  • Food science and engineering,
  • Dietetics and sports,
  • Environmental sciences,
  • Chemical sciences, biotechnology,

This course is suitable for students with an interest in:

• • food safety,
  • healthy eating and well-being.
• Recommended Language Level:
  • intermediate level of English (B1), as the working language will be English

Application Process:

Interested applicants should

🔗 Apply here: https://forms.gle/MaNRAtumxNzQKGVB6

Deadline for receipt of applications: 21 February 2026

Successful applicants will be notified by E-mail.

 

Further Information

For any further information or queries related to the course, please contact:

E- Programme: maciej.tankiewicz@gumed.edu.pl