Minor Climate-Resilient Crops

How can we develop crops that can feed the world in the face of a changing climate? How can we leverage revolutionary tools in Artificial Intelligence and data science to develop such crops? And how can we do so in a socially responsible manner? The interdisciplinary minor ‘Climate Resilient Crops: Interdisciplinary Approaches’ brings together cutting-edge knowledge from plant science, data science, and social science to equip you with the tools to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Urgent societal questions

Plant breeding has revolutionised agriculture, boosting the yield, variety, and quality of crops. However, with a growing global population and increasing climate pressures, new challenges have emerged. Heatwaves, droughts, floods, pests, and poor soils hinder agriculture production. There is an urgent need to produce crops that can withstand these extreme and unpredictable conditions. This calls for climate-resilient crops that can thrive under unpredictable and extreme conditions. 

Yet, developing climate-resilient crops is highly complex. It requires knowledge of the interplay of numerous genes, processes, and the way trade-offs are balanced. Moreover, food producers around the world may have diverging views on which resilience traits are most beneficial for a specific context. In addition, there may be many other challenges. Think of obstacles related to organisational routines, government regulations and market structures. These can all impede the development and uptake of climate-resilient crops.  

An interdisciplinary minor

This minor will enable you to gain knowledge of resilient crop development through a highly interdisciplinary approach, making it unique. The curriculum combines recent developments in plant science, social science, and data science. You will learn the fundamental concepts of these three fields. Next, you will apply these to resilient crop development, and you will practice interdisciplinary knowledge integration and communication. Finally, you will deploy all this knowledge and skills whilst working on an interdisciplinary group project. This real-world case offers you the opportunity to contribute sustainable and innovative solutions to develop climate-change resilient crops. 

This will prove to be invaluable during interdisciplinary collaborations in both the first and final courses. Below is an overview of all the courses you can choose from Wageningen University and Research (WUR):

For whom?
This minor is for anyone interested in developing climate-resilient crops and exploring the interdisciplinary approaches involved. Students from social sciences, life sciences, or data sciences are all welcome.
When?
Starts period 1 in the academic year 2025/2026 and lasts for half a year (Sept 2025 – Jan 2026).
Where?
The minor will be taught at Wageningen University and Research.
How to apply?
The link to sign up will appear here soon!