Unit FARM MANAGEMENT AND FOOD AGRICULTURAL POLICIES
- Course
- Sustainable agriculture
- Study-unit Code
- 80067012
- Curriculum
- Bioeconomia
- Teacher
- Biancamaria Torquati
- CFU
- 10
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2022
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa integrata
FARM MANAGEMENT
| Code | 80099606 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 5 |
| Teacher | Biancamaria Torquati |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline economico gestionali |
| Academic discipline | AGR/01 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italiano |
| Contents | LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE AS A SYSTEM. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIONS AND INPUTS. FARM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) FARM TYPOLOGY. WORK ORGANIZATION. LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) GENERAL ACCOUNTING AND CONTROL MANAGEMENT (1,5 FORMATIVE CREDITS) NEW FORMS OF AGRICULTURE, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION, PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) BUSINESS PLAN (1,5 FORMATIVE CREDIT) |
| Reference texts | Torquati B. - Economia e gestione dell'impresa agraria. Sole24Ore Ed agricole, Bologna, 2003. Messori F. – L’azienda agraria. Clueb, Bologna, 2007 [capp. 13 e 14] Fontana F., Caroli M. – Economia e gestione delle imprese. McGraw-Hill, Milano, 2009 [cap. 3] Osterward A., Pigneur Y. – Creare modelli di business. Edizioni FAG, Milano, 2012 |
| Educational objectives | The course has the main objective to provide students with the necessary theoretical and methodological knowledge to set up the management of livestock enterprise which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The main knowledge gained will be: ¿ knowledge of the relationships between the factors of livestock production and the production of goods and services including the positive and negative externalities; ¿ knowledge of the forms of management in agriculture/livestock and technical evaluation of the financial results related to them; ¿ knowledge of the production processes in agriculture/livestock and technical evaluation of the financial results related to them; ¿ knowledge about general accounting and analysis of financial accounting; ¿ knowledge of the strategies that can be activated by the farm according to the local context and the level of competition / cooperation with other livestock enterprises; ¿ knowledge to build a business plan starting from a business idea innovative. The main skills are: ¿ analyzing the financial results of the livestock enterprise as a whole agricultural context in connection with the competitive environment and territorial location, and to national and European Agricultural Policy; ¿ identify issues related to the management of livestock enterprise proposing solutions for removing the obstacles that prevent the survival and / or growth; ¿ build and evaluate innovative business models to meet the needs and demands of consumers and society as a whole; ¿ use data processing models elaborate on the Excel program. |
| Prerequisites | In order to be able to obtain maximum benefit from the course you must have acquired adequate knowledge of microeconomics and of agricultural policy. These prerequisites are valid both for students attending and for those not attending. |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized as follows: Lectures on all the topics of the course. Exercises at computer lab for the implementation of: 1) an enterprise's computer system; 2) the design and development of an enterprise audit; 3) general accounting and financial statement analysis; 4) development of a Business Plan. Each student will work with a PC and can download from Unistudium the tools required for exercises including data and calculation models on Excel spreadsheet. The exercises completed of the students must be uploaded to Unistudium at least one week before the date of the oral exam. Farm visits and seminars. There are planned one/ two visits at Umbrian successful livestock enterprises and one / two seminars with experts to investigate operational aspects related to the most topical issues in relation to innovation and / or forms of contract and / or business ideas. |
| Other information | The course allows, through exercises and livestock enterprises visits / seminars with entrepreneurs and professionals, active learning in order to stimulate social skills, decision-making and negotiation to the client, as well as to acquire the technical language necessary to interact with specific expertise in the economic sector. Attendance is recommended |
| Learning verification modality | The exam consists of a written test and a presentation of a technical composition realized individually. The written test consists of answering at eighteen (10) questions with open answers on all topics of the course. All the questions concern theoretical content. The test has a maximum duration of two hours and is designed to test the ability to understand the issues raised and the ability to communicate in written form using appropriate terms in a concisely and rigorous. The oral exam consists of the discussion of about 30 minutes of the two technical composition produced independently. The first one focus on the formulation of a comprehensive financial accounting and financial statement analysis using company data provided during the course. The discussion of this composition will take 10 minutes and it is designed to test the ability to apply correctlyl knowledge regarding the construction and interpretation of financial statements and the financial position of the farm. The second technical report concern on the development of an innovative business idea in order to implement a business model with the check of the economic and financial sustainability of the investment required. The discussion of this second elaborate will last about 20 minutes and it is designed to test both the ability to develop a business idea independently, and to support it with conviction through proper economic and financial indicators. The business idea has to be exposed in a clear, structured and convincing form. |
| Extended program | LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE AS A SYSTEM. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIONS AND INPUTS. FARM MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) LESSONS. The farm system and the enterprise system. Economic analysis of the farm. Enterprise as a system. Agricultural production and inputs. Management operations and dynamics of the values. Farm management information system. [Torquati, chapters.1, 2, 3, 4, 7 e 9] EXERCISES. Construction of a farm management information system. Elaborations and analysis of farm data FARM TYPOLOGY. WORK ORGANIZATION. LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) LESSONS. Farm size and growth. The farm’s conduction forms. The network contract. Supply and use of agricultural labor. Planning labor needs. Labor organization. Farm and socio-economic aspects. Macro socio-economic analysis. Micro socio-economic analysis. Stakeholder analysis. Agricultural productions and exeternalities. Environmental impact of farm decisions. Enhancing enterprise-wide positive externalities. Environmental Life Cycle Costing (LCC). [Torquati, chapters 5 e 6; Messori, chapters 13 e 14; Katz et al., chapter 18] EXERCISES. Setting up and developing of a company audit. GENERAL ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS (1,5 FORMATIVE CREDIT) LESSONS. The accounting analytics and reporting. The general accounting. Models of accounting records. Opening balance sheet. Closing balance sheet. Budget and balance sheet simulations. Direct and indirect taxation of the agricultural system. Economic and financial analysis: reclassification and budget analysis. The measurement of economic efficiency. The measurement of organizational efficiency. Balance sheet indexs. [Torquati, chapters 10, 11; Agricultural fiscal guide] EXERCISES. Complete accounting records. Accounting Iva. Calculation of the budget indicators and Business and enterprise analysis SEMINAR. Meeting with a an expert of an agricultural professional organization on direct and indirect tax system in agriculture NEW FORMS OF AGRICULTURE, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION, PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING (1 FORMATIVE CREDIT) LESSONS. Agricultural enterprises and new forms of agriculture. Multifunctional farms. Business strategies. The competitive advantage. Cost leadership. The differentiation. The focalization. Collaboration strategies. Innovation and agricultural enterprises. Marketing in livestock enterprises [Fontana e Caroli, chapter 3, Lecture notes] EXERCISES. Case studies SEMINAR. Seminar with a farmer who has obtained competitive advantages through differentiation strategies BUSINESS PLAN (1,5 FORMATIVE CREDIT) LESSONS. Entrepreneurial ideas. Building of business models. The Business Model Canvas (BCM). SWOT analysis for the identification of business strategies.The construction of a Business Plan: marketing plan, production plan, sales plan, financial plan. Evaluating and managing risk. [Torquati, chapter 13] EXERCISES. The construction of a Business Plan and analysis of the results |
FOOD POLICIES
| Code | 80024506 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 5 |
| Teacher | Biancamaria Torquati |
| Teachers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline economico gestionali |
| Academic discipline | AGR/01 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | 1. Agriculture and economic development (0,3 credits) 2. Economic aspects in the study of agriculture and rural development (0,3 credits) 3. Agri-food policy instruments (0,6 credits) 4. EU: institutions and policies (0,1 credits) 5. The common agricultural policy for the stabilization of markets and incomes (1,0 credits) 6. Territory Development Planning (0,5 credits) 7. Rural development policy (0,4 credits) 8. The risk management policy (0,2 credits) 9. International agricultural policy (1,0 credits) 10. Cohesion policy (0,2 credits) 11. The Italian agricultural policy (0,2 credits) 12. Agro-energy policies (0,1 credits) 13. OGM policies (0,1 credits) |
| Reference texts | 1. Material provided by the teacher. 2. Segré A. (2008), Politiche per lo sviluppo agricolo e la sicurezza alimentare, Carocci editore, Roma. 3. Sodano V., Sassi M., Marchini A., Economia agroalimentare: mercati e politiche, McGraw-Hill, Milano, 2010. 4. Vieri S. (2001), Politica Agraria, Edagricole, Bologna. 5. Commissione europea, Come funziona l’Unione europea, Ufficio delle pubblicazioni ufficiali delle Comunità europee, 2014. |
| Educational objectives | This course aims to provide students with a wide science knowledge of the aims, instruments and effects of the agricultural policies at the international, European and national levels. It particularly contributes in training future graduates to competently carry out all the activities related to agricultural policies, as a professional (agronomist) and/or a collaborator of societies for consultancy and planning in agriculture and/or an official in public or private institutions – specifically: - analyzing and evaluating changes in the socio-political context and in the agri-food sector legislation; - drawing up and implementing consultancy plans and business projects relating to European agri-food policies, rural development policy and national agri-food regulations; - planning, implementing and evaluating local development programs and projects, in implementation of European and national policies. |
| Prerequisites | In order to properly understand the content of the course, you need to have knowledge of Economics Institutions and Economy and agricultural policy. |
| Teaching methods | Classroom lessons: 36 hours Classroom exercises: 7 hours Seminars with external experts: 2 hours |
| Other information | Other activities: Student run lessons. Seminars. |
| Learning verification modality | Ongoing tests: reports on practical case studies, prepared using both MS Word and MS Excel. Final written test: 30 multiple-choice questions – time 15 minutes Final oral exam: 10 questions about theoretical aspects of the module issues, in order to assess the student’s knowledg and comprehension, together with his/her ability of exposition – time 45 minutes ca. Ongoing test assessments: multiple-choice tests. Assessment at the end of some lessons or practical exercises. Individual written reports home-based: as an alternative to the ongoing classroom exercises. |
| Extended program | Lessons: 1. Agriculture and economic development (0,3 credits) Economic development, economic growth and structural economic dynamics. Agriculture and economic development. 2. Economic aspects in the study of agriculture and rural development (0,3 credits) Market failures. Externalities. Common goods and common resources. Information asymmetries. Goods of experience and trust. 3. Agri-food policy instruments (0,6 credits) Market policies. Income policies. Structural and rural development policies. The rational and economic implications of agricultural policy instruments for market control. Control on foreign trade. Price stabilization measures. Checking stocks and adjusting production. Indirect agricultural policy tools. 4. EU: institutions and policies (0,1 credits) The institutions of European Union. EU policies. 5. The common agricultural policy for the stabilization of markets and incomes (1,0 credits) European Union: Institutions and policies. The European integration process and its evolution. The decision-making process of the European Union. The original setting of the Common Agricultural Policy. The evolution of EU market policy. CAP Reforms: the MacSharry Reform and Agenda 2000. The Fischler Reform. Decoupling and conditionality. Health Check. The EU Budget. The CAP 2014-2020: direct payments. Market measures and the unique CMO. The CAP 2021-2027. 6. Territory Development Planning (0,5 credits) Statistics for territory. Local Work Systems. The planning process. SWOT analysis for the territory. Impact, Result and Output Indicators. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks. 7. Rural development policy (0,4 credits) Evolution of the EU rural development policy. The second pillar of the CAP. Planning the rural development policy. Rural development policy 2014-2020. The LEADER approach. Agro-environmental policy. 8. The risk management policy (0,2 credits) The risk in agriculture. The evolution of risk management policy. The facilitated insurance. Mutualization funds. 9. International agricultural policy (1,0 credits) Economic theory and foreign trade. Consequences of agricultural policies on the international trade. How WTO works. Negotiations and agreements. The Uruguay Round agricultural agreement: market access, export support measures, internal support measures. The Doha Round and the future of multilateral trade negotiations. U.S. agricultural policy. 10. Cohesion policy (0,2 credits) Evolution of the EU cohesion policy. Structural funds. Reform of structural funds. Policies at a territorial level. Instruments for territory planning. Building programs for the economic and territorial development. Program evaluation. 11. The Italian agricultural policy (0,2 credits) Evolution of the institutional intervention on agriculture from the second post-war period to the Nineties and the reorganization of agricultural skills. Italian agricultural policy from 2000 up to now. National institutions for agricultural issues. National agricultural policy and public expenditure for agriculture. Orientation laws for agriculture. Farmers’ organizations and their policies. 12. Agro-energy policies (0,1 credits) Agro-energy: reality and perspectives. Agro-energy policy. 13. OGM policies (0,1 credits) OGM anda NBT policy. Exercises 1. Term paper on an issue of agricultural policy, european or international. 2. Cross-compliance acts and standards and the farm advisory dossier. 3. Analysis and application of a measure from the RDP, Rural Development Plan. 4. Territory analysis and the drafting of a Local Development Plan. |