UCL - Agricultural economics

[BIR1342]

[30h + 15h] 4 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Bruno Henry de Frahan

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The objective of this course is the study and application of the fundamental principles of economics to specific problems of, 1) the agricultural and food sector and 2) the organization of rural space. At the end of the course, the student should:
- have a good knowledge of the economic characteristics of the agricultural and food sector
- master the fundamental concepts of micro-economics theory of production, consumption and markets
- be able to put apply these concepts to the study of phenomena of production, consumption and exchanges in the agricultural and food sector
- be able to solve typical economic problems of the sector.

Main themes

This course studies the economics of the:
- agricultural production
- food consumption
- agricultural markets and their weaknesses

This course also treats questions regarding:
- technical progress in agriculture
- risk and uncertainty in agriculture
- Government intervention in agriculture
- the economic analysis of the food marketing channels
- the location of agricultural production and processing
- the economics and management of natural resources, including forest management.

Throughout these different topics, the course uses the fundamental concepts of micro-economics.

Content and teaching methods

1. Introduction
2. Economics of agricultural production
3. Specific problems of agricultural production
4. Agricultural markets
5. Agricultural market failures and public interventions
6. Industrial organisation of the food supply chains
7. Spatial and regional relations
8. Natural resource economics
9. Natural resource management
10. Introduction to project evaluation
Additional training sessions are oriented on the use, application and
illustration of the concepts and methods taught during the teaching sessions.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Precursory courses : BIR 1241 'Economie politique et sociale'

Supplemental courses : BAPA 2301 'Politique agricole et alimentaire'; BAPA 2201 'Economie et gestion des entreprises en agriculture'; BAPA 2205 'Economie et gestion de la production agricole'; ECRU 2371 'Economie des ressources naturelles'

Evaluation : At the end of the cycle, written examination, based on both the theory and the exercices

Support : Lecture notes, also accessible on i-campus; reference books, complementary lectures and slides

Teaching team : professor and assistant

Theoretic course with exercises.