Free online course on the economics of agriculture, natural resources and the environment
The School of Agricultural and Resource Economics offers a free online course on the economics of agriculture, natural resources and the environment. Click here to enrol.
About the course: Agriculture, Economics and Nature
The development of agriculture is what got human beings started on the long trip from hunter-gatherers to modern civilisation. Agriculture remains an economically important industry in both developed and developing countries.
This course is about agriculture, including agricultural production and the interaction between agriculture and the environment. We will look at these issues from a general perspective, and from an economic perspective. You will see that the economic perspective can often really enrich our understanding of what is happening and how we might respond.
Sound economic thinking is crucial for farmers because they depend on good economic decision making to survive. Governments depend on economic information to make good policy decisions on behalf of the community.
The key economic principles that we’ll learn about can help us understand changes that have occurred in agriculture, and support improved decision making about things like agricultural production methods, agricultural input levels, resource conservation, and the balance between agricultural production and its environmental impacts.
There are literally thousands of agricultural economists around the world who work on these issues, so there is a wealth of knowledge to draw on for the course.
Instructor
Professor David Pannell is one of Australia's leading economists working in the area of agriculture, natural resources and environment.
His research includes work on the economics of farming systems, land conservation, farmers' behaviour, agri-environmental policy, risk in agriculture, weed management, agricultural policy, environmental management and environmental policy.
At the University of Western Australia he is Head of the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Director of the Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites or prior knowledge needed.
Required text
No required texts. Recommended reading will be provided each week. All will be readily accessible online, or copies of original material will be provided.
Course outline
Week 1
Agricultural production and prices and agriculture?s reliance on natural resources
Week 2
Resource and environmental challenges facing agriculture
Week 3
Economics of agricultural inputs
Week 4
The economics of land conservation
Week 5
The economics of agri-environmental projects
Week 6
Agricultural policies
Huong Nguyen - Faculty of Basic Science
Source: University of Western Australia
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- Potential Cooperation between TUAF and Peru partners (12/2016)
- Delegates from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada visits TUAF (12/2016)
