Global Food and Agricultural Business | University of Adelaide

Our Global Food and Agricultural Business (GFAB) post graduate programs are open to recent graduates and candidates of all levels of experience, focusing on the economic, political, environmental, and social issues affecting global food systems.

How does the programme provide content to ensure students achieve an understanding of a reasonably diverse set of perspectives on understanding economies?

Our courses expose students to a diverse set of perspectives on understanding economics. We teach core economics concepts from the perspectives of the new institutional economics, systems thinking approaches and neoclassical economics. Our courses also reflect our work across disciplines conducted in our research centre, some examples include work in nutrition, water & natural resource management, geography and anthropology. This conversation with other disciplines further emphasizes our systems approach.

Additionally, our student cohort is diverse in experience and origin, with students from over 25 countries. This is coupled with our lecturers being involved in active research projects in over 19 countries enabling us to offer a rich array of case studies on understanding economies as a key component of our program and course content.Our courses expose students to a diverse set of perspectives on understanding economics. We teach core economics concepts from the perspectives of the new institutional economics, systems thinking approaches and neoclassical economics. Our courses also reflect our work across disciplines conducted in our research centre, some examples include work in nutrition, water & natural resource management, geography and anthropology. This conversation with other disciplines further emphasizes our systems approach.

Additionally, our student cohort is diverse in experience and origin, with students from over 25 countries. This is coupled with our lecturers being involved in active research projects in over 19 countries enabling us to offer a rich array of case studies on understanding economies as a key component of our program and course content.

How does the programme ensure students understand the interaction between economic and ecological systems?

Our programs cover the areas of food, agriculture, agribusiness and resources through an economic lens, so the interaction of these systems is paramount to the way we teach. Our course includes a very pluralistic program that attempts to train our students on the best way to go about transforming government policy. We aim to leave you with the skills necessary to make a difference.

We encourage students to explore and use competing economic paradigms and are attraced particularly to instititional economics and tend to focus on the development of value chains and systems thinking.

How does the programme ensure students understand how to critically explore real-world evidence, both qualitative and quantitative?

Our program and course learning outcomes ensure our students are able to critically explore real world situations through a variety of different tools, including both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Key teachings includes:

• Analysing real-world food and agricultural business problems, issues, or strategic opportunities. 
• Examining the policies affecting agricultural and food businesses, consumers and governments. 
• Exploring how the international food and agricultural markets have changed dramatically over the last several decades.
• Developing proposals for the transformation of an existing policy.

Our program and course learning outcomes ensure our students are able to critically explore real world situations through a variety of different tools, including both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Key teachings includes:

• Analysing real-world food and agricultural business problems, issues, or strategic opportunities. 
• Examining the policies affecting agricultural and food businesses, consumers and governments. 
• Exploring how the international food and agricultural markets have changed dramatically over the last several decades.
• Developing proposals for the transformation of an existing policy.

What pedagogical approaches does the programme use to ensure that students examine the historical context, assumptions and values in all economic thinking?

We use a full variety of different teaching methods depending on the course content and delivery mode. We advocate the use of different economic and social research techniques and paradigms.

How does the department ensure that the teaching culture and capacity to deliver economic pluralism are continually improving?

We definitely have pride in the continual improvement of our programs. In addition to the normal course and academic program reviews, we run our own 'learning and teaching' committee comprised of representative students, lecturers and support staff to regularly discuss any issues and opportunities for improvement, including new courses and course delivery improvements.