- Docente: Maurizio Aragrande
- Credits: 3
- SSD: AGR/01
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Veterinary Medicine (cod. 8617)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students are aware of ther relevant breeding firms organisation and management models, in relation to the supply chain and agrofood system context; they can analyse management choices in the relevant firm and system environment, based on economic indexes, and autonomously judge about their effectiveness in the technological, economic and institutional context. They can communicate and justify their economic analysis to the private and public stakeholders involved in the firm management. Finally the can individually learn about innovation in firm management, based on scientific literature and on practice feedback.
Course contents
The economic system. Real and monetary flux. Demand, supply, market. The elasticity concept. The institutional framework and the sector policies. The economic choices of the society. Production frontier. Macroeconomic equilibrium. Partial (sector) equilibrium. The agro-food system in the context of the general economic system. Agro-food products supply system. Industries, supply chains and agro-food industrial districts.
The microeconomic equilibrium. Consumer economic equilibrium. Agro-food demand. Neoclassical and socio-economic approach. The firm equilibrium. The production theory. The production process. Technical constraints and production laws. Cost of production. The theory of entrepreneurial choices. Production functions: production function with one variable input; production function with two variable input; production function whit one limiting input.
From economic theory to firm management. Conceptual and operational management tools at the firm level. Production cost calculation and analysis. The global balance sheet of the animal husbandry firm. Solving partial problems of firm management: machinery operation cost (buy-or-lease problem); feed processing at firm level. Investments analysis. Firm efficiency analysis.
Agro-food policies. Agro-food system trends. Inter firm organization patterns. Market models and real markets in the agro-food system
Readings/Bibliography
Notes and slides delivered by the Teacher during the course.
Zucchi, G. Zooeconomia. Economia del sistema delle produzioni animali. Ed. Avenue media, Bologna, 2006
Mariani A., Vigano' E. (2002) Il sistema agroalimentare dell'Unione Europea, Carocci Editore, Roma
Airoldi G., Brunetti G., Coda V. (2005) Corso di economia aziendale. Il Mulino Editore, Bologna
Teaching methods
Front courses
Case study analysis and problem solving approach
Participatory teaching methods
Assessment methods
Test based on multiple choice answers (40 questions, result reduced to a 0-30 scale) and open questions (4 questions, result evaluated in a 0-30+laude scale). Final note result from the average of the multiple choice and open answers result.
Teaching tools
Slide presentation
Case analysis
Office hours
See the website of Maurizio Aragrande