Food and Agricultural Markets
Course Description
The food and agricultural sector is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the U.S., as well as globally. This course examines the structure, strategic behavior, and performance of firms in modern food and agricultural markets. Students will study how increasing consolidation and concentration at different stages of the supply chain have enabled the presence of firms with significant seller and buyer market power. Students will learn the economic theory underlying modern food and agricultural markets and then apply it to contemporary case studies where we will examine the economic conduct of agricultural producers, processors, and retailers in a national context. Students will also learn about managing risk, including a review of futures markets.
This course is designed to prepare students with an understanding of key agricultural marketing issues and concerns and to develop students’ analytical skills used so that they may better evaluate different marketing problems and programs to support food and agricultural businesses.
Prerequisite: AREC/ECON 202 (Principles of Microeconomics)
Our Learning Culture
I want you to imagine we’re all part of the same organization—one where everyone’s success depends on how well we collaborate, share ideas, and support each others growth. That means:
- We take initiative and hold ourselves accountable.
- We celebrate experimentation and embrace failure as part of the process.
- We give and receive feedback with curiosity and respect.
- We build a culture that reflects the kind of teams we’d want to work on in the real world.
My goal is to help you connect what you’re learning to real decisions and real contexts. By the end of the course, you’ll have experience working with market data, applying economic concepts to real marketing problems, and communicating your analysis in ways that support sound decision-making.
Reuse of material
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