The Economics of Agro-Food Value Chains

Have a look at our trailer for a brief introduction to this course: https://youtu.be/GADAgxTHjgE In this course, you learn how the agro-food value chain approaches the challenge of constantly improving its competitiveness by producing high quality food and products and also aiming to attain greater sustainability. Some of the topics of this course are: • The notion of quality for food and agricultural products and consumer value. • How to conduct market research in this field. • Labelling, branding and pricing strategies, as-well as innovation in the agro-food sector. • How sustainability can be used as a competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility. • The role and different types of industrial standards.
• The different forms of coordination in the chain, in particular with regard to the retailing and distribution sector.

This course is taught by a group of international experts from Universities in Italy, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Each of them will give you insights into a specific topic related to food quality and the organization of the agro-food value chains.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Module 1: Introduction
This module will give you an introduction and overview of the course. In the second lesson of this module, we will talk about the current challenges and trends in the agro-food value chain. In the third lesson of this module, the concept of quality in the agro-food value chain will be introduced. The module finishes with the fourth lesson, which gives you an overview of the food value chain.
Module 2: Quality and Consumers
In this module you will learn about the relationship between quality and consumer value. After the module you will be able to describe consumer choices in a differentiated market and explain the link between quality and value. You will also learn about strategies for building consumer value.
Week 2
Module 3: Market Research
In Module 3 you will learn about market research. After the module you will know the definition, role and types of market research in addition to the research process and the ethics of market research. In the second lesson of the module you will learn about the different types of data and various methods of data collection. The last lesson of the module then deals with data analysis, where you will learn about the most commonly used statistical and econometric techniques to analyze data.
Module 4: Asymmetric Information about Quality
In Module 4 you will learn about asymmetric information with regard to food quality. In the first lesson of the module we will introduce the concepts of asymmetric information, adverse selection, moral hazard, and market failure. That way you will be able to explain the role of information for the functioning of a market. In the second lesson we will talk about the product attributes and their classification. After the lesson you will be able to classify product attributes based on when consumers are able to assess their true qualities.
Week 3
Module 5: Food Labeling
In Module 5 you will be introduced to “Food Labeling”. In this module you will learn how labels can work as a tool to solve market failures due to asymmetric information and hear about reputation mechanisms based on trust and signaling.
Module 6: Pricing Strategies and Implications
In Module 6 we will talk about the effect of price as a signal for quality. The module also includes the implication of consumer psychology and quality perceptions on pricing tactics.
Module 7: Consumer Behavior and Brand Personality
At the end of this module
Week 4
Module 8: Geographical Indicators
In module 7 you will learn about consumer behavior and the dimension and use of brand personalities. In the first lesson you will learn about the consumer’s purchasing process. In the 2nd lesson we will talk about consumer characteristics. Finally, you will hear about segmentation, positioning, and brand personality.
Module 9: Innovation and Quality
This module is about “Geographical Indicators”. After the module you will be able to explain the notion of “Geographical Indication” and the key facts about the protection of GIs in the EU. You will also be able to explain the importance of the GI sector within the EU market.
Week 5
Module 10: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Agro-Food Sector
In this module you will learn about innovation and quality. You will be able to define what is innovation and state the differences between the many types of innovations. You will also be able to explain how innovations are generated and how the drivers and barriers of innovation in the agro-food sector arise.
Module 11: Coordination in the Agro-food Value Chain
In this module we will talk about “Corporate Social Responsibility in the Agro-food Sector and its Relevance for Food Companies”.
Week 6
Module 12: Coordination, Quality and Modern Retail
In this module you will learn about the coordination continuum, when coordination is profitable and possible incentive conflicts.
Module 13: Industrial Standards
In this module you will learn about the modern retail sector and its procurement contracts, the issues around shelf allocation and supplier selection.
Final Exam

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

Excellent mode of learning with best professors. Really learned a lot. Thank you.

Nicely designed course. Gave me an insight on value chain importance and strategies

This course has enhanced my knowledge of the Agro-Food Value Chain from the perspective of Economics, I would like to highly recommend this course to my colleagues working in Value Chian.

The course was well presented; its scope can be expanded outside the EU to accommodate other markets