Agriculture

Students work in selected internships in non-profit, government agencies, or farmer networks associated with the Brazilian Consortium on Agroecology and Sustainable Development. The purpose of the internship is to gain direct experience in agroecological techniques and methodologies to achieve sustainability in agriculture. Internships are approved in advance by the faculty coordinator with whom each student will be required to meet regularly and plan out complementary readings and regular written reports. Work commitments will range between 180-360 hours depending upon the number of units undertaken and the length of the term enrolled. Final assessments will be based upon performance in the internship, quality of written reports and a final assessment by the faculty advisor. Internship is repeatable for up to 16 units. Enrollment is restricted to 10 students per term selected through a special selection process. See instructor for details.

Analysis of policy issues in agricultural development using sectoral and regional models of growth and development.

This course covers alternative models of production, resource and environmental risk management; family production function; adoption and diffusion; innovation and intellectual property rights; agricultural and environmental policies and their impact on production and the environment; water resources; pest control; biotechnology; and optimal control over space and time

Standard and advanced econometric techniques are applied to topics in agriculture and resource economics. Techniques include limited dependent variables, time series analysis, and nonparametric analysis. Students will use computers to conduct statistical analyses.

History, institutions, and policies affecting agriculture markets and environmental quality. Producer behavior over time and under uncertainty. Asset fixity and agricultural supply models.

Changing patterns of agriculture in relation to population growth, the biology and social impact of plant disease, genetic engineering of plants: a thousand years of crop improvement and modern biotechnology, interactions between plants and the environment, and effects of human industrial and agricultural activity on plant ecosystems. Knowledge of the physical sciences is neither required nor assumed

Students work in selected internships in non-profit, government agencies, or farmer networks associated with the Brazilian Consortium on Agroecology and Sustainable Development. The purpose of the internship is to gain direct experience in agroecological techniques and methodologies to achieve sustainability in agriculture. Internships are approved in advance by the faculty coordinator with whom each student will be required to meet regularly and plan out complimentary readings and regular written reports. Work commitments will range between 180-360 hours depending upon the number of units undertaken and the length of the term enrolled. Final assessments will be based upon performance in the internship, quality of written reports, and a final assessment by the faculty advisor. Internship is repeatable for up to 16 units. Enrollment is restricted to 10 students per term selected through a special selection process. See instructor for details.