TRADE 7005 - Agriculture and Food in International Trade

North Terrace Campus - Trimester 2 - 2017

This intensive course is a core course for the Masters in International Trade and Development (MITD) and is also offered as an elective for students pursuing other degree paths at the University of Adelaide. The course is central to the MITD because no student can claim competence in the trade and development area without understanding fully the important area of agriculture and food's role in economic development and international trade. Understanding agricultural policy models, the role of intergovernmental organizations, how supply chains operate in concrete situations and the growing impact of new impediments to trade such as those manifested in private standards are all key to appreciating today's globalized market for agriculture and food. Finally, the food and agriculture area is one that has witnessed dramatic transformation in markets and methods in recent years with retailers gaining an ever greater influence over production and distribution decisions. As with other core courses in the MITD program, this course is designed to give graduates an extra competitive edge by providing them with a practical and case study based background in global production and trade in food and agricultural products. Students' exposure in the course of the week to several different and practically experienced experts as lecturers helps to guarantee development of a strong in-depth background in the topic.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code TRADE 7005
    Course Agriculture and Food in International Trade
    Coordinating Unit Institute for International Trade
    Term Trimester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact 1 week intensive
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Assessment Presentations and Project
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Douglas Young

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    International trade in agricultural goods and food involves a set of highly specialized business skills with a great deal of variability in expertise from one product to another. Varying from bulk transport of commodities to specialized high-value niche products, each product brings its own challenges and needs and the course looks at the full supply chain for different types of goods.

    On successful completion of this intensive course, students will be able to:
    1 Appreciate and explain different national models for agricultural production and trade and their implications for the trading system;
    2 Understand and interpret special agricultural trade policies and policy instruments;
    3 Explain how agriculture and reforms affect economic development and food security – with a special focus on the developing world;
    4 Understand how global food processors and retailers manage the supply chain;
    5 Understand how value chain analysis can be applied in specific sectoral contexts to help in the identification of export opportunities;
    6 Appreciate changing global patterns of consumption and distribution of food and how market access is affected by private standards;
    7 Gain an in-depth view into the operations and governance of global markets for food and agriculture;
    8 Research the practical applicability of concepts addressed in the course to real life situations in international trade and investment
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3,4,5,6,7
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    6,7,8
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    6,7,8
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    6,7,8
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no textbooks for this course. Required readings will be provided shortly.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The Learning & Teaching modes of this course will comprise of a mix of online and face-to face modules. These will include group work and presentations, discussions and debate.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The Institute requires students undertaking this course to attend all face-to-face modules and to successfully complete all online/e-modules. This course comprise of approximately 36 contact hours (structured learning). In addition to time spent in class, students are expected to devote an additional 120 non-contact hours to study and research work in this course as well as to successfully complete online/e-modules.
    Learning Activities Summary

    The course will be delivered through a mix of three face-to-face sessions (Modules) and online modules. Students are also expected to participate on the discussion board on MyUni.

    Module 1: International trade rules on agriculture and food
    Topics: Introduction to agriculture and food in international trade. Introduction to international rules, policy instruments & dispute settlement as they relate to agriculture.

    Module 2 - Part A: Policy and policy models in a changing paradigm
    Topics: Policy and policy models, the increasing role of environmental concerns, consumers and food patterns, and the needs for reform in agricultural trade

    Module 2 - Part B: Food Aid and Case Studies in Developing Countries Agriculture
    Topics: Food security and food aid in international trade

    Module 3 - Part A: The role of standards and global value and supply chains
    Topics: The positive and negative roles of standards in agricultural trade, governance of global value chains, and case studies in industry wide value chain development

    Module 3 - Part B: Exporting processed agricultural products, export management, and market development: the food and beverage sector perspective
    Topics: Exporting food and beverages, market entry platforms, value chain models and export market developments
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Pre-F2F activities Formative TBA - Before each Modules 25% 1,2,3,4,5
    Group work Formative TBA - Module 2 30% 4,5,6
    Peer assessment Formative TBA - Module 2 5% 4,5,6
    Report/Policy brief Summative TBA - End of Term 40% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    Assessment Detail
    Pre-F2F activities (25%)

    Students will be required to complete online activities on the MyUni Discussion section of the course prior to the face-to-face sessions (Modules).
     
    Group work (30%)

    Groups will be formed in Module 1. Students will work on and resolve a problem/case assigned by the lecturer and present their results to the class.


    Peer assessment (5%)

    Group members are expected to evaluate the conduct and contributions of their team members through peer evaluation.

     
    Report/Policy brief (40%)

    Students will individually work on a report/policy brief assigned by the lecturer. Students are to synthesize materials, concepts, topics and tools covered throughout the course. Students are expected to demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge while expressing themselves clearly and in a structured manner.

    Submission
    Assignments must be submitted through:

    Turnitin on MyUni

    All assignments must be presented professionally with clear headings, appropriate referencing and using one and a half spacing.


    Extensions will only be granted if requests are received in writing to the course coordinator and program director at least 24 hours before the final due date unless they are requested on medical or compassionate grounds and are supported by appropriate documents.

    Please contact the course coordinator, preferably by email, at any time to make an appointment for assistance or guidance in relation to this course.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.