The Food System

AEC 841 - ANALYSIS OF FOOD SYSTEM ORGANIZATION AND

PERFORMANCE

Course Web Site: http://www.msu.edu/course/aec/841/

See also the Course Angel Site at angel.msu.edu (for those enrolled in the class)

Summer Semester, 2008

M,W 10:20-11:40, Room 48 Agriculture Hall

Instructor: John Staatz (staatz@msu.edu)

Department of Agricultural, Food & Resource Economics

205 Agriculture Hall (5-1519)

Secretary: Pat Neumann, 219 AGH (2-0848)

(e-mail: neumannp@msu.edu)

Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday, 1:30-2:30 and by appt.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To help students develop a conceptual framework and analytical approaches to
understand the relationships between market structure, organizational rules, and food
system performance in low-, middle- and high-income countries.
2. To increase students' familiarity with agricultural marketing institutions, market
processes, and issues of organization, control and public policy.
3. To help students get to know agricultural marketing as a subject matter area in
agricultural economics.

FORMAT

The course is organized as a lecture/discussion, with emphasis on a Socratic approach. You
should therefore do the assigned readings prior to the class in which they will be discussed, as
you are likely to be called upon, and class participation is an important dimension of the course.
In the lectures and discussion, we will cover conceptual and analytical approaches as well as
case studies that apply the concepts in both industrialized and developing countries. We will
also have occasional outside speakers.

PREREQUISITES

Students should have taken courses covering basic economic theories of pricing and competition
(EC 301 or equivalent; AEC 805 is preferable). Students without this background should consult
the instructor.