Course:FRE521E
| Supply Chains in Food and Agriculture: Economic Analysis and Technological Transformations | |
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| FRE 521E | |
| Section: | |
| Instructor: | Murray Fulton, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan |
| Email: | Murray.Fulton@usask.ca |
| Office: | |
| Office Hours: | Mondays 2:00 – 3:30 pm |
| Class Schedule: | Feb 26 to April 12
Mon&Wed 10:00-11:30 |
| Classroom: | MCML 154 |
| Important Course Pages | |
| Syllabus | |
| Lecture Notes | |
| Assignments | |
| Course Discussion | |
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
Over the last 40 years, agri-food supply chains have become increasingly complex and integrated. Traditional spot markets have been replaced with contractual relationships, supermarkets have emerged as key players in food retailing worldwide, food products have become more and more differentiated, the various stages of the supply chain have become increasingly concentrated and vertically integrated, and certain strategically important countries (e.g., China, Brazil, Ukraine) have become major buyers and sellers. Using a set of conceptual tools and empirical examples, this course examines the economics of agri-food supply chains and the significant transformations they have undergone.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand the reasons for and estimate the extent of market power in agri-food supply chains;
- Explain the pricing strategies used in agri-food supply chains;
- Explain the increased vertical integration in agri-food supply chains and analyze its impact;
- Explain the rise of private labels and standards in agri-food supply chains and analyze its impact; and
- Describe and analyze the technological changes that have transformed and are transforming agri-food supply chains.
ASSESSMENT REPORT
FRE 521E gives students an opportunity to examine and explain patterns in real-world food prices. Using a dataset on retail food prices collected by professors Murray Fulton and James Vercammen, students develop a question and then subject it to an in-depth analysis using state-of-the-art concepts and statistical techniques. They then present a report that discusses the results and draws conclusions about the question that was posed. This assignment provides students with a unique opportunity to develop their own interpretation of a subject, including the question to be examined and the tools used to examine it.
BIG QUESTIONS & REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS IN CLIMATE, FOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT COVERED IN THE COURSE
- Agri-food supply chains have changed dramatically over the last 40 years and can be expected to transform further in the foreseeable future. What are the changes that have occurred and why have they happened? What changes are likely to take place in the future?
- Agri-food supply chains have become highly concentrated. What are the reasons for this increased concentration? What are the expected effects? How can the impact of this concentration on prices be measured empirically?
- Vertical supply chains face a host of challenges, such as opportunistic behavior by suppliers, the need to coordinate the behavior of many buyers and sellers, and the increasingly diverse nature of consumer demand. How have agri-food firms responded to these challenges? What insights does this response provide for firms today?
ASSESSMENT METHODS
Your grade shall be determined as follows
| Evaluation | Due Date | Percent of Grade |
| Market Power Assignment (50% Individual; 50% Team) | View MFRE online schedule | 30% |
| Food Price Project & Presentation (Team) | View MFRE online schedule | 30% |
| Participation (Individual) | 10% | |
| Final Exam (Individual) | View MFRE online schedule | 30% |
| Total | 100% |