How food is made,
from farm to fork.

The programme is suitable for you if you:

• have a passion for the environment, biology and chemistry,
• want to know how our food is made from farm to fork,
• care about food quality and safety and want to know how our food is actually produced in the field and subsequently processed,
• want to have hands-on experience in food manufacturing and food analysis.

You will learn about agricultural practices and what defines sustainable agriculture, and acquire knowledge in both plant and animal biology, nutritional needs, microbes around us, soil and the environment. The last year of your study is largely focused on food quality and technology.

You will take practical trainings in food manufacturing at the university's new food demonstration facilities and in well-equipped food analysis laboratories. All teaching is in English.

Food production faces new challenges with higher consumer pressure on its quality and safety. Quality is not only determined by manufacturing, but also by agricultural practices. Overuse of pesticides, food additives and the high carbon footprint of current foods will be a challenge for future managers in the food sector and agribusiness. Organic farming and changing consumer preferences open market opportunities for young, enthusiastic organic farmers and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. The choice is yours.

Examples of completed or existing projects in which you can get involved:

• Alternative plant protection with essential oils. Plants produce essential oils to protect themselves from pathogenic fungi or insects. Applied to crops at the right time, they offer a natural and environmentally friendly protection. The aim is to develop highly efficient organic biopesticides.
• Functional food formulations. One project develops new fermented functional drinks using honeybee bacteria. In another, students discover which forms of polyphenols are more easily digested and converted to bioactive forms in the human gut.
• Honey bee health. Healthy honeybees mean better pollination and higher crop yields. Research looks at honeybee immunity and the role of beneficial bacteria in their digestive tract.
• Carotenoids in modern wheat varieties. Scientists measure these beneficial compounds, precursors of vitamin A, in wheat to help select and breed varieties with a higher content.

doc. Ing. Jaroslav Havlík, Ph.D., programme guarantor. An associate professor specialising in food quality, analytical chemistry and nutrition-related metabolomics: diet and microbiome interactions, polyphenol metabolism and food safety analytics (NMR, LC-MS, GC-MS, in vitro gastrointestinal and microbiota models). He heads the Agronomics research group, has authored 100 peer-reviewed publications and teaches courses including Fundamentals of Quality of Plant-Based Products. havlik@af.czu.cz

Sandra Teresita Martín del Campo Barba, Ph.D. A food biotechnology researcher specialising in dairy science, protein functionality and the valorisation of food industry by-products: cheese ripening, bioactive peptides, whey protein processing and high-intensity ultrasound. She earned her doctorate through a joint programme of the Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon and the University of Guadalajara.

Theresa Ann Reinhardt Piskackova, Ph.D. An assistant professor researching weed ecology, integrated weed management and sustainable cropping systems. She leads courses on alternative and organic agriculture.

The faculty runs a separate admission procedure for programmes taught in English. You apply online, pay the application fee and take the GAP test. If you have questions, write to the admissions coordinator Mgr. Šárka Panušková (iro@af.czu.cz).