- Docente: Marco Setti
- Credits: 3
- SSD: AGR/01
- Language: English
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Forli
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Economics and management (cod. 9203)
Learning outcomes
The course deals with the economics of the food system sustainability and integrates theoretical and operational understanding on environmental economics, and on economics of environmental policy. It furnishes knowledge on food economics within the conceptual and operational framework of the common-pool resources, and it places emphasis on the relationships between food systems and environmental ones. It endows students with the capacity to design and manage sustainable development strategies and activities, and it provides competences on eco-management tools. By the end of the integrated course, the student is capable to: - analyze challenges and opportunities driven by green economy concepts; - evaluate the economic implications that sustainability implies for the food system management; - desing and develop strategies for competitive and eco-friendly activities of business and public Institutions; - design, implement and manage research and development projects and eco-management schemes based on sustainable criteria.
Course contents
Introduction
Goals of the course, structure, activities, evaluation
A. Theoretical background
How does economics explain the environmental challenges ?
Which repercussions do they imply for business management ?
What is sustainability ?
What’s next for food system and sustainability ?
1. Environmental Economics (8 hours)
- Efficiency, equity and market distortions
- Sustainability: definition and concepts
- Environment and economic background: common resources and economic implications
- Economics of pollution: implications for business management
2. Economics of Environmental Policy (8 hours)
- Administrative and economic policies: principles, aims, mechanisms, and comparative analysis
- Group exercise – simulation game
- Eco-innovation and business behaviours
- Voluntary measures, expected policy scenarios and business strategies
- Food waste policies and consumer behaviour
B. Eco-management tools
How businesses can deal with sustainability strategies and management ?
3. Sustainability Management (14 hours)
- Green marketing: case histories
- Responsible development and certifications: case histories
- Life cycle thinking for sustainable food systems II: an application to energy and food waste
- Network concepts and applications
- Evolution of cooperation
Readings/Bibliography
The following texts offer a general introduction to the course topics:
- R.K. Turner, D.W. Pearce, I. Bateman, Environmental Economics, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1994
- B.C. Field, M.K. Field, Environmental Economics: An Introduction, McGraw-Hill, 2010 (5th edition)
- T. Tietenberg, Environmental Economics and Policy, Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2007
Additional references (texts, scientific articles, webliography) are suggested for each discussed subject and will be proposed during the activities. Slides available at http://campus.unibo.it
Teaching methods
Front loaded and active learning methodologies; group and individual exercises; seminars.
Assessment methods
There is a joint exam for the two modules of the Integrated Course in Food System Economics therefore it will take place at the end of the classes of both modules.
Knowledge and skills achieved with the two Units are evaluated together on the basis of the following modalities:
a. regular class attendance: written exam (5 arguments, one hour);
b. not regular class attendance: oral exam (about one hour) on the course study programme.
Teaching tools
Laptop, beamer, flipchart, others.
Office hours
See the website of Marco Setti