This course aims at providing students with a primer in applied economics with specific regard to the structural and conjunctural analysis of the agricultural sector. The course is set out in two sections. In the first one theory and methods of Economics are introduced, in the second section the system of activities related to agriculture are analysed in order to identify their structure and understand their role in the development process.
- Begg D., Fischer S., Dornbusch R.; (2011), Economia, McGraw-Hill, Milano (Forth edition).
- Polidori R.; (2011), Introduzione all’economia del settore agricolo: una proposta metodologica,.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired: Basic knowledge of Political Economics, Agricultural Economics and Economics of the functions that agriculture performs in the economic system
Competence acquired (at the end of the course): analysis of agriculture under three different levels: 1) sectoral level, in order to emphasize the relationships exiting between agriculture and the economic system; 2) supply chains level, in order to specify all the phases that contribute to the production of different goods; 3) territorial level, in order to deal with the differentiation of local development
Skills acquired at the end of the course: professional competence in conducting studies regarding agriculture, the food supply chain and the rural milieu
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended)
Courses required: ..............................................
Courses recommended: Mathematics.
This is the first course with economic contents within the Agricultural Science and Technology degree programme The course is divided into two parts:
a) in the first part, the methodology and the object of political economics are introduced: Economics, tools for economic analysis, the demand, the supply and the market, demand and supply elasticity, consumer theory, supply theory, perfect competition, monopoly. Introduction to normative economics. Introduction to macroeconomics: domestic product and aggregate expenditure, currency, inflation, unemployment.
b) in the second part structural characteristics
and trends of agriculture are analysed. The system of activities related to agriculture and its components, the production structure: farms and farm enterprises, the spatial dimensions of agriculture, the industrial component of the agricultural system, food consumptions, socio-institutional characters of agriculture, technical progress in agriculture, agriculture and development.
c) Practical lessons: final report made by groups of students, including the following topics: supply chain (wine, olive, etc..), typical products (DOP, IGP), rural development. Field trips at farms and food companies