88097 - Forms Of Integration And Cooperation In The Agri-Food Market

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - Knows the concepts and economic theory that underlie the processes of coordination and vertical and horizontal integration. - Knows the history, the constitutive principles and the evolution of cooperation and associations in agriculture. - Knows the concepts and economic theory that underlie the processes of coordination and vertical integration, starting from considerations on game theory (competition vs. cooperation) and the concentration of supply. - Can define methods, tools and resources to identify and suggest the most suitable and effective forms of coordination for specific case studies. - Is able to analyze and classify the forms of cooperation existing in specific agri-food sectors and to outline their strengths and weaknesses.

Course contents

1. Objectives and aims of the course
Competitive markets and aggregation needs. Context elements of global agricultural markets.

2. Contract theory and new-institutional economy. Institutions and models of organization of the agri-food chain. Vertical integration in the agri-food chain: considerations and economic analysis.

3. Cooperative experience in Italy and its role in agriculture
Notes on the history of cooperation and agricultural cooperation in Italy. The cooperative enterprise in the modernization of Italian agriculture. the role of agricultural cooperation between the company and the market. Distinctive elements of cooperative enterprises and other corporate forms. Mutuality. The principles of the international alliance.

4. Management aspects of the cooperative enterprise
The members and the assembly in the cooperatives. Member-cooperative relations: contributions, valuation and settlement of contributions. Statutory bodies. Aspects of the economic and financial management of cooperatives

5. Application experiences and insights
Producers' organizations and the single CMO. Innovation, new forms of organization and integration of agricultural enterprises. Agri-food districts. Business networks.

Readings/Bibliography

Handnotes from the lessons

STEFANO ZAMAGNI, VERA ZAMAGNI (2008) La cooperazione. Il Mulino

Teaching methods

Lectures from time to time are accompanied by case studies arising from solicitations collected in the sector press.

Excerices of experimental economics and behavioural economics.

Group work

Assessment methods

The knowledge of the topics presented in class and the verification of the acquired competences foresees an oral exam.  The assessment also takes into account the skills of analysis and synthesis expressed, as well as the display skills The duration of the test is 30 minutes

The student has the possibility to opt for the presentation and discussion of an essay (work group), on the subject of his choice, elaborated that is discussed orally.

Teaching tools

All those available, informatic and traditional. Furthermore excercises of experimental economics will be realized, individually or in group.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Mulazzani