Understanding Agribusiness, Value Chains, and Consumers in Global Food Systems

Learn about the dynamic business of food and agriculture, exploring value chain thinking and the role consumers play in our rapidly evolving food systems. 

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Agribusiness is at the core of most economies around the world. The business of feeding people remains both complex and extremely important. According to the World Bank, food and agribusiness is a US $5 trillion industry that represents 10 percent of global consumer spending. 

In a global food system impacted by growing populations, economic growth, globalization, climate challenges, disruptive technologies, and evolving consumer demands, we must find smarter ways to produce food and to operate food businesses. 

Guided by the team at The Centre for Global Food and Resources, this course will introduce the concepts at the heart of agribusiness; including value chain thinking, the dynamics of markets, and the changing nature of consumer behavior. 

You will learn what it is that sets agribusiness apart from other business sectors and the difference between supply chain and value chain thinking. You will gain an understanding of food markets and the distinctive factors that influence them. There will be a focus on the role that consumers play in the value chain - why they make the food choices they do and what changing food demand means for agribusiness. This course will showcase Australian agribusinesses, providing genuine insights into the concepts discussed. 

In an increasingly complex sector, this course will help you think differently about the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead for agribusiness.

What you will learn

• How to recognize the characteristics of Global Food Systems
• The multiple variables impacting Global Food Systems
• How to identify value chain thinking and how it differs from supply chain thinking
• The characteristics of agri-food markets, what influences their supply and demand, and what sets them apart from other markets
• The role played by external factors such as population and income growth, globalization, climate change, technology, and international trade in global food systems, agribusiness and value chains
• How to recognize the role the consumer plays in the food system, markets, and value chains

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