KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Know the main characteristics of the Italian agri-food system. Know the role the agri-food system plays within the Italian and European economy. Understand the Italian agri-food competitiveness performance in the international markets and the impact of agri-food policies. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Know how to analyze the main dynamics of the Italian agri-food system and its economy and the impact of agri-food policies. Know how to apply the main basic economic and statistical analytical tools to the agri-food system. MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Students have to demonstrate - at the end of the course - that they have not only memorized the concepts but also to be able to carry out autonomous critical analyses of specific case studies. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: The written exam on the main topics analyzed during the course and on one of the scientific paper or reports assigned by the teachers, together with the oral discussion, aims to verify the student's ability to communicate communicate effectively, both in written and oral form, using appropriate disciplinary vocabulary. LEARNING SKILLS: At the end of the course, students should demonstrate proficiency in the minimum knowledge and understanding presented in this syllabus, as well as the ability to critically apply them to case study analysis.

Knowledge of the fundamentals of microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics is required.

1 The agri-food system. 1.1 General characteristics of agri-food systems. 1.2. Characteristics of agri-food systems in Italy and in the European Union. 1.3. Demand and supply in the agri-food markets. 1.4 The international agri-food markets. 1.5 Sustainability of agri-food systems. 2. Agri-food systems and organization models. 2.1 The agri-food supply chain. 2.2 The territorial agri-food systems. 2.3. Vertical and horizontal agri-food supply chain coordination. 2.4 Cooperatives and producer’s associations. 2.5 Other agri-food organization models. 3. The agri-food safety. 3.1 The EU’s “white paper” on food safety. 3.2 Traceability and risk-management. 4 Quality and differentiation strategies in the agri-food system. 4.1 Food quality definition. 4.2 Asymmetric information, moral hazard and adverse selection in the agri-food system. 4.3 Certification schemes; 4.4 Geographical Indications, organic products and other agri-food certifications. 5 The competitiveness of the Italian agri-food system. 6. Agri-food policies. 6.1 Rationale and origins of agricultural policies. 6.2 Agricultural policy models in developed and developing countries. 6.3 The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union.

Study materials will be provided by the teachers. Course slides and additional materials (book chapters lectures and scientific articles) will be available on Moodle 2 and the Course Teams.

1 The agri-food system. 1.1 General characteristics of agri-food systems. 1.2. Characteristics of agri-food systems in Italy and in the European Union. 1.3. Demand and supply in the agri-food markets. 1.4 The international agri-food markets. 1.5 Sustainability of agri-food systems. 2. Agri-food systems and organization models. 2.1 The agri-food supply chain. 2.2 The territorial agri-food systems. 2.3. Vertical and horizontal agri-food supply chain coordination. 2.4 Cooperatives and producer’s associations. 2.5 Other agri-food organization models. 3. The agri-food safety. 3.1 The EU’s “white paper” on food safety. 3.2 Traceability and risk-management. 4 Quality and differentiation strategies in the agri-food system. 4.1 Food quality definition. 4.2 Asymmetric information, moral hazard and adverse selection in the agri-food system. 4.3 Certification schemes; 4.4 Geographical Indications, organic products and other agri-food certifications. 5 The competitiveness of the Italian agri-food system. 6. Agri-food policies. 6.1 Rationale and origins of agricultural policies. 6.2 Agricultural policy models in developed and developing countries. 6.3 The Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union.

Lectures, discussion on economic reports, individual work and eventuality cooperative learning work.

The final exam aims to verify the students’ knowledge and understanding of the topics presented during the course, their ability to apply knowledge and understanding, to make critical judgments, their learning and communication skills.
The final exam consists of two parts:
I) a compulsory written test
II) the optional preparation of a written report and its oral discussion.
Written test: consists of two parts:
(a) 1st part: multiple choice questions and possibly exercises to test understanding of the basic concepts of the course;
b) 2nd part: open-ended questions that require a higher level of understanding and reprocessing of the topics covered or excerpts from articles and publications, and possibly more complex exercises.
The achievement of the minimum mark (18/30) in part I is a prerequisite for the performance/assessment of the part II.
For the overall grade, the grade for Part I contributes 40% and the grade for Part II contributes 60%. Students are required to adhere to ethically appropriate conduct during all assessment activities, which will be properly organized and regulated according to procedures communicated and made public during the course. Any form of plagiarism, cheating, or academic misconduct will be dealt with in accordance with the University's Code of Ethics and Conduct.
Depending on teachers’ discretion, the written test may be conducted on the moodle platform (in the classroom, in the laboratory or, in part, as homework) depending on the number of participating students and logistical availability. Unless otherwise indicated, the test will be taken in the classroom in the traditional mode (handwritten test).
Written report (optional): the preparation of a written report and its oral discussion, either individually or as a team work (maximum 3 students), is reserved for students who obtained a mark of at least 25/30 in the written test, and allows to increase this mark by up to 5 points (+5 points) or decreased it by up to 2 points (-2 points).

The report is intended as an in-depth study of a specific topic chosen from those that will be proposed by the teachers; report writing and presentation guidelines will be provided during the lectures and published on moodle and on the course Teams.
The evaluation of the written report and its presentation will consider:
- the methodological rigor of the work, the originality of the considerations and comments provided and the editorial accuracy;
- the quality of communication and discussion (slides and oral interaction).

Attending students:
Students who attend at least 2/3 of the total course hours in-class may take 2 intermediate written tests on parts of the topics, as an alternative to the final written test on the whole course programme. The student must obtain a minimum mark of 18/30 in each intermediate test in order to pass the examination. The written report and presentation for attending students may be prepared and discussed at the end of the course or during the first regular exam date of the winter examination session (January-February).
Specific indications on the organization of intermediate tests will be provided during the course, taking into account the calendar and timetable of lectures.
During the lectures, simulations of the written test will be given and self-assessment tests will be provided to be taken independently in preparation for the compulsory written test.
Students in mobility programmes: the course syllabus and examination procedures outlined above also apply to Erasmus students or students participating in other international mobility programmes.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations