IX. Graduate Programs

Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics

Courses

Production Economics

FARE*6380 Applied Microeconomics for Agricultural Economists F [0.50]
The objective of this course is to foster a deeper understanding of standard microeconomic concepts and their appliction to a wide variety of topics in food, agricultural, and resource economics. Emphasis is placed on what tool(s) to use in a wide variety of circumstances to address real life problems. Topics will include decisions by firms and consumers, market equilibrium, and production decisions.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*2770, ECON*3710, ECON*3740 or equivalent
FARE*6970 Applied Quantitative Methods for Agricultural Economists F [0.50]
This course exposes students to the empirical tools agricultural economists use when conducting research. Emphasis is placed on what tool(s) to use in a variety of circumstances. Topics covered will include advanced econometric techniques, optimization and simulation modelling. Students will also be exposed to the different quantitative software packages used in empirical research.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*3740, ECON*2770

Agricultural Policy and Trade

FARE*6600 Agriculture in Economic Development F [0.50]
The course is concerned with the role of agriculture as a source of food, fibre and employment in developing countries. The interaction between agriculture and other sectors of the economy and other countries is also examined.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*1050 and ECON*1100
FARE*6910 Applied Policy Analysis I W [0.50]
An overview of domestic and international agrifood policies and an introduction to the concepts and methods used to evaluate domestic trade policies.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*3710
FARE*6920 Applied Policy Analysis II U [0.50]
A presentation and evaluation of advanced quantitative agrifood policy models and selected special topics related to domestic and trade policy evaluation.
Prerequisite(s): AGEC*6910 or FARE*6910
Co-requisite(s): ECON*3710
FARE*6980 Agricultural Trade Relations W [0.50]
An examination of the institutional, theoretical and empirical aspects of international agrifood trade.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*3710, AGEC*6910 or FARE*6910

Economics of Food Markets

FARE*6930 Food Firms, Consumers and Market I W [0.50]
This course examines the application of microeconomic theory to food markets. Topics covered include: optimizing behaviour by economic agents, the certainty equivalent profit model and decision making under risk, optimal capital replacement models and their application to food system economics, consumer behaviour with respect to food products and behaviour with respect to food products and behaviour of marketing intermediaries and food processors. New developments in the economic theory of the form are surveyed. (Offered in alternate years.)
Prerequisite(s): ECON*2310, ECON*3740
FARE*6940 Food Firms, Consumers and Markets II U [0.50]
This course builds on Food Firms, Consumers and Markets I by extending the breadth and depth of student's understanding and scope of economic analysis. Advanced techniques in producer and consumer theory, as well as advance market analysis techniques are presented and utilized. Understanding of the research process and advanced methods is emphasized throughout.
Prerequisite(s): AGEC*6930 or FARE*6930, ECON*3710

Natural Resource Economics

FARE*6950 Natural Resource Economics I W [0.50]
Natural Resources I introduces conventional theoretical modeling approaches to renewable resources, e.g. fisheries & forestry. Seminal theoretical literature is discussed. Emphasis is placed on setting up economic models, deriving and interpreting general results. Applied methods include dynamic optimization and regression analysis. Additional topics include Land Economics and the property rights approach.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*3710
FARE*6960 Natural Resource Economics II U [0.50]
Natural Resources II reviews & extends conventional theoretical modeling approaches to renewable resources, e.g. fisheries & forestry. Seminal literature is reviewed and contemp. theoretical work and empirical papers discussed. Emphasis on extending economic models addressing natural resource issues - uncertainty, externalities & policy instruments, and derive reduced-form versions of forestry & fishery for empirical estim. & analysis. Primary method of math analysis involves dyn. opt. techniques. Detailed math derivations & proofs expected. Also- extinction, climate change, carb sequest.
Prerequisite(s): ECON*6010, AGEC*6950 or FARE*6950

Other Courses

FARE*6400 Advanced Topics in Agricultural Economics S [0.50]
The application of economic theory and various contemporary tools of economic analysis in solving production problems in the agricultural sector of the economy.
FARE*6100 The Methodologies of Economics W [0.50]
Alternative views on the methodology of economics are reviewed and assessed. The process of problem identification in the development of a research project proposal is investigated.
FARE*6720 Readings in Agricultural Economics F,S,W [0.50]
A reading course on selected topics of special interest. May be offered to individual students or to groups of students in any semester.
FARE*6800 Seminar in Agricultural Economics U [0.00]
Students in the MSc program must give two presentations at the annual MSc research symposium; one in their first year outlining their research plan, and one in their second year on their thesis research results.
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1

Canada
519-824-4120