96557 - Agricultural and Food Policies

Learning outcomes

he course aims to provide students with adequate tools to understand and analyze the agricultural policy at EU and international levels. The process of European integration was based on two pillars - agriculture and nutrition - that have allowed us to begin the process of economic and political unification of the continent. Particular attention is given to the analysis of some aspects of the agri-food system and its implications for the global supply and demand, with the problems of food security, with the world market, with the natural environment and with the system of development aid. At the end of the course the student will have a detailed picture from the point of view theoretical, empirical and comparative, of the interventions (methods and tools) of agricultural policy and rural development.

Course contents

UNIT 0: Introduction to Agricultural Policy (total teaching unit: 2 hours)

0.1. Introduction to Agricultural Policy

0.2. The Importance of Agriculture Policy for Agriculture

0.3. Some effects of Agricultural Policy

Unit 1. The agricultural policy instruments (4 hours)

1.1. Rationale of the agricultural policy interventions

1.2. Policy instruments for the markets control

1.2.1. Interventions on imports

1.2.2. Interventions on exports

1.3. The measures to stabilize prices and farm incomes

1.4. Control and management of stocks

1.5. Adjustment of production

1.6. Indirect instruments

UNIT 2: The Common Agricultural Policy: from its origins to the 2014-2020 reform (8 hours)

2.1. The origins of the CAP

2.1.1. Agriculture and agricultural products

2.1.2. The CAP’s objectives

2.1.3 The CAP’s instruments

2.2. Pricing and markets policies

2.2.1. Positive and negative consequences

2.3. CAP reform: the Mac Sharry plan

2.4. CAP reform: Agenda 2000

2.5 CAP reform: Fischeler plan

2.6 CAP reform: 2014-2020 +2 plan

2.6.1. The CAP structure

2.6.2. The basic payment scheme

UNIT 3 The current CAP (total teaching unit: 6 hours)

3.1. The legislative framework of the CAP 2023 – 2027

3.2. The new system of direct payments

3.3. The new rural development

3.4. The new delivery model: risks and opportunities

UNIT 4: Rural development policy (total teaching unit: 6 hours)

4.1. Definitions and concepts

4.2. The role of agriculture in rural development

4.3. The principles of rural development

4.4. Rural development for international organizations.

4.5. The rural development policy of the European Union

4.5.1. Agenda 2000 and the birth of the second pillar

4.5.2. The Fischler Reform.

4.5.3. Rural Development in the CAP 2014-2020

4.5.4. Rural Development in the CAP 2023-2027

UNIT 5: Rural development and youth entrepreneurship, good practices (total teaching unit: 2 hours)

5.1. The instruments

5.2. Business networks

5.3. Methodologies to ensure sustainability, transferability and reproducibility

5.4. The main good practices in Italy and in Europe

UNIT 7: Main trends of food governance in the near future (total teaching unit: 8 hours)

7.1 Civil society and social justice; the role of the State and the Market in the objectives of the 2030 agenda

7.2 The problem of natural resources and land

7.3 Land conversion and monocultures (general look at the data)

7.4 The interweaving of new market needs and land governance in third countries

UNIT 8: Practical application exercises and Seminars (total unit 24 hours)

8.1. European design

8.1.1. Financing lines

8.1.2. Structuring a project idea

8.1.3. Drafting and discussion of a project idea

Readings/Bibliography

During the course the professor will make available to students, on the VIRTUALE portal, specific educational material (in electronic format) which supplements the notes taken during the lectures.

The bibliography that we recommend is:

- Segre' Andrea, Politiche per lo sviluppo agricolo e la sicurezza alimentare, Carocci editore, Roma, 2008

- Simone Vieri, Agricoltura : settore multifunzionale allo sviluppo, Edagricole, Bologna, 2012

- Simone Vieri Politica agraria: comunitaria, nazionale e regionale, Edagricole, Bologna, 2001.

Articles, reports and other texts will be recommended during the course

Teaching methods

The course is divided into eight learning units. The first seven units are theoretical and made up of lectures, while the eighth is made up of specific exercises or seminars on key topics covered in the course. In particular, the first unit is a theoretical unit preparatory to the units from the second to fifth. The units from the second to fifth are focused on the Common Agricultural Policy analysis in which one party acts as a preamble to the two successive units focused on rural development.

Assessment methods

The exam will take place in two ways. The first involves the preparation of group paper, that will be made during the course. The second involves an oral examination (lasting about 20-25 minutes) able to verify the expected learning. In particular, the questions of the oral examination, cover topics developed in the teaching units.

Teaching tools

Blakckboard, projector, PC, ppt presentations, internet access, documentaries.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Falasconi