27334 - International and Comparative Agricultural Policy

Learning outcomes

The course aims to treat advanced training on the issues of agriculture and rural development in developing countries, in transition, newly industrialized and developed countries, through the theoretical analysis, empirical and comparative interventions (methods and tools) agricultural and rural policies. At the end of the course the student will be better equipped to understand and analyze the agricultural policies at EU and international levels. Also the student will know the essential aspects of the agri-food system and its implications with 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

Course contents

Agricultural policy: definition and role in agricultural and economic development

 

UNIT 1. Economic Growth and Structural Dynamics (4 hours)

1.1. Measuring economic development

1.2. Causes and the growth accounting

1.3. Growth and its indicators

 

UNIT 2. Development and development aid (5 hours)

2.1. The evolution of the concept of development

2.1.1. The theory of basic needs

2.1.2. The human development index

2.1.3. Sustainable development

2.2. Define development aid

2.2.1. Types of development aid

2.2.2. Perverse effects of development aid

2.3. Empirical models for the evaluation of the relationship between aid, development and growth

2.3.1. The model Burnside / Dollar

 

Unit 3. The agriculture in the development process (5 hours)

3.1. Role of agriculture in the development process

3.2. The model of Lewis

3.3. Rostow - The stages of the economic development

3.4. Johnston and Mellor - The role of agriculture

3.5. Schultz - Technological change

3.6. The green revolution

3.7. The model agriculture and society

3.7.1. Demographic effect and development effect

3.7.2. The evolution of employment in agriculture

3.7.3. Stationary society and dynamic society.

Unit 4. Agriculture and International Relations (4 hours)

4.1. The multilateral system: objectives and functioning of the main international institutions:

4.1.1. FAO. The role played by the organization in agricultural development policies

4.1.2. WFP. The role played by the organization in agricultural development policies

4.1.3. IFAD. The role played by the organization in agricultural development policies

4.1.4. World Bank. The role played by the organization in agricultural development policies

4.1.5. WTO. The role played by the organization in agricultural development policies

4.2. The bilateral system: the role and the action undertaken by decentralized cooperation in agricultural development policies

 

Unit 5. Food Security and food insecurity (5 hours)

5.1. Food safety in the European Union.

5.2. Food (In)security in developing countries.

5.3. The hunger numbers and food security indicators.

5.4. Hazards, vulnerability and adaptations in the context of food insecurity.

5.5. Monitoring and aid tools

5.6. Food sovereignty

 

Unit 6. Protectionism overproduction and undernourishment (4 hours)

6.1. The main instruments of protectionism

6.2. Protectionism and North-South relations in the world

6.3. The implications for PSV

6.4. What are the possible solutions

 

Unit 7. Microcredit and agriculture (4 hours)

7.1. Ethical finance

7.2. Problems and limitations of micro-credit in agriculture

7.3. The actions of microfinance companies in agriculture

7.4. Microcredit and Natural Resources

 

Unit 8. Food losses and waste (5 hours)

8.1. Definition of food losses and  waste

8.2. Size and localization of the phenomenon

8.3. Conditions that may explain food losses and  waste

8.3.1. Microeconomic conditions (and empirical evidence)

8.3.2. Macroeconomic conditions (and empirical evidence)

8.3.3. Non-economic conditions (and empirical evidence)

8.4. Policies and tools that can lead to the prevention and reduction of food losses and waste

Unit 9. Practical application and seminars (24 hours)

9.1. Practical applications of the project cycle

9.1.1. Instruments, methods and actors of international cooperation programs

9.1.2. The steps of the project cycle

9.1.3. Practical exercise on Project Cycle

9.2. Practical application of the Di Cocco's model

9.2.1. The statistical sources and databases for the Di Cocco's model

9.2.2. Drafting of the socio-economic model through the application of the Di Cocco's model

9.2.3. Discussion of the results obtained

9.3. Seminars

Readings/Bibliography

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

The bibliography that we recommend is:

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

- Organization for economic co-operation and development, Agricultural policies for poverty reduction edited by Jonathan Brooks. – Paris, OECD, c2012

- FAO (2011), Global food losses and food waste, FAO, Rome

- Segrè Andrea, Ferretti Fabrizio, L'analisi economica dell'agricoltura. Scritti in onore di Enzo Di Cocco, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009

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

Teaching methods

The course is divided into nine teaching units. The first eight units are theoretical and consist of lectures, while the ninth unit, is made up of specific exercises or seminars on key topics covered in the course. In particular, the first four units are proposed as theoretical unit preparatory to the units from the fifth to the sixth. The units from the fourth to the sixth focuses on the effects of policy intervention in agriculture. The seventh provides a theoretical framework of a possible instrument of economic development in the agricultural. The last unit focuses on a phenomenon of recent interest in the scientific world, and proposes a theoretical framework - policy and practice, on the food losses and waste.

Assessment methods

The exam will take place in two ways. The first involves the preparation of individual and 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.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Segrè