Course Description
Examination of the economics of global food and fiber production, consumption, and trade. It explores agriculture's many roles in the global economy vis a vis economic development, food security, political economy, and environmental resource management.
Athena Title
World Food Economy
Prerequisite
AAEC 2580 or AAEC 2580E or ECON 2106 or ECON 2106E or ECON 2106H or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
(1) To gain a systematic understanding of the world food economy's structural features and how these features affect food prices, trade, economic growth, poverty, hunger, and sustainability. (2) To acquire analytical tools to quantitatively explain and predict the relationship between the world food economy's key drivers and economic, social, and environmental outcomes. (3) To learn how to break down large, complex issues into analytically tractable problems and to solve these problems in a group setting.
Topical Outline
I. Structural features of the World Food Economy a. Framework for analysis b. Consumption and production c. Technology d. Trade and markets e. Livestock and biofuels f. Climate change h. Structural transformation II. Food and agricultural policy a. Efficiency and equity objectives b. Hunger alleviation c. Environmental objectives e. Macroeconomics f. International trade and trade agreements g. Food aid and food security
Syllabus