Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will know and understand the role of agriculture in economic systems, the specific characteristics of the agricultural and agri-food sectors, the objectives of public intervention and the main agricultural policy instruments. Students will also understand the institutions operating at different levels of government, the main statistical information sources and the instruments concerning entrepreneurship, access to land and credit, agricultural labour and risk management.

Applying knowledge and understanding

Students will be able to interpret agricultural policy interventions, identify instruments that are consistent with specific farm-level and territorial problems, and use the main institutional and statistical information sources. They will also be able to examine public-support opportunities, access-to-credit and access-to-land instruments, and agricultural risk-management measures.

Making judgements

Through practical exercises, the analysis of institutional documents and case discussions, students will be able to critically assess the objectives, instruments, beneficiaries and effects of agricultural policy interventions, taking into account the economic, social and environmental consequences of alternative measures.

Communication skills

Through classroom discussions, individual or group work and the possible presentation of case studies, students will acquire the ability to use appropriate economic and institutional terminology and to present and justify their assessments to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Learning skills

Students will develop the ability to independently retrieve, understand and update information from regulatory, statistical and institutional sources and to explore the evolution of agricultural policies and support instruments for farms and rural areas.

The course comprises 42 hours of teaching activities, divided into 14 hours of content-delivery teaching and 28 hours of interactive teaching.

Content-delivery teaching consists of lectures devoted to the theoretical foundations and development of agricultural policy and to the main institutions and policy measures.

Interactive teaching includes practical exercises, analysis of statistical sources and institutional documents, case discussions, individual or group work and specialist seminars. These activities enable students to apply their knowledge, compare alternative agricultural policy instruments, formulate independent judgements and communicate the results of their analyses appropriately.

Teaching activities make use of presentations, regulatory and institutional documents, databases, online resources and learning materials made available through the Studium platform.

If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus.

During the course, students will be offered brief individual tests with both formative and assessment purposes, followed, where appropriate, by small-group discussion of the answers. These activities are intended to support progressive learning, provide immediate feedback and encourage active student participation.

1. Iacoponi, L., Romiti, R. (2001). Economia e politica agraria. Edagricole, Bologna. ISBN 978-88-206-3876-4. Selected chapters are indicated in the course planning section. The textbook may also be consulted through university libraries.

2. Santeramo, F.G., Di Gioia, L. (2018). La gestione del rischio in agricoltura. Assicurazioni, credito e strumenti finanziari per lo sviluppo rurale. Edagricole, Bologna. ISBN 978-88-506-5551-9.

The main textbooks are in Italian. Guidance and supplementary learning materials in English will be provided to international students where appropriate.

Slides, regulatory and institutional documents, statistical sources, exercises, applied cases, scientific articles and further learning materials will be made available through the Studium platform.

Assessment of the Agricultural Policy module is based on two alternative pathways:

1. an optional continuous-assessment pathway consisting of brief periodic tests during the course, followed by a final oral examination;
2. a final oral examination covering the entire syllabus for students who do not participate in the continuous-assessment pathway or do not meet its minimum requirements.

The continuous-assessment pathway consists of ten brief individual tests, each lasting about 10 minutes and carried out in class during or at the end of the scheduled lessons. The tests may include multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions and simple applications relating to the topics covered. The result of each test will be made available before the following test in order to provide timely feedback and enable students to monitor their learning progress.

The indicative test schedule will be communicated at the beginning of the course and published through the Studium platform.

The eight best results will be taken into account. Therefore, no make-up tests will be provided for individual absences. Students successfully complete the pathway when they participate in at least eight tests and obtain an average mark of at least 18/30.

Some individual tests may be followed by a brief discussion in small groups, aimed at comparing answers, promoting peer learning and clarifying errors. This activity is formative and does not negatively affect individual marks.

For students who successfully complete the pathway, the average of the eight best results obtained in the periodic tests accounts for 40% of the module assessment. The remaining 60% is based on the final oral examination, which must be passed with a mark of at least 18/30. The module mark is therefore calculated as follows: 40% average mark obtained in the periodic tests and 60% oral-examination mark. Topics successfully assessed through continuous assessment will not be tested again analytically during the oral examination. They may nevertheless be recalled to assess the student’s ability to establish connections and develop an integrated understanding of the subject.

Students who do not participate in the pathway, complete fewer than eight tests or do not achieve the minimum average mark of 18/30 will take an oral examination covering the entire syllabus, without penalty. Successful continuous-assessment results remain valid for the entire academic year.

Assessment of the module contributes to the final assessment of the integrated course “Economics, Valuation and Agricultural Policy” in accordance with the unified procedures agreed upon by the lecturers responsible for the different modules.

Assessment will take into account knowledge and understanding of the topics, the ability to apply knowledge to the cases proposed, analytical and connecting skills, independent judgement, the relevance of the answers and the appropriate use of technical terminology.

The module mark is expressed on a scale of 30. The module is passed with a mark of at least 18/30.

The final mark is awarded according to the following criteria:

Examination not passed
Knowledge and understanding: substantial gaps and significant inaccuracies.
Analysis and synthesis: inadequate, with frequent generalisations and an inability to summarise the relevant concepts.
Use of references: completely inappropriate.

18–20/30
Knowledge and understanding: basic knowledge at the minimum required level, with evident inaccuracies.
Analysis and synthesis: only just sufficient.
Use of references: barely appropriate.

21–23/30
Knowledge and understanding: satisfactory knowledge of the main topics.
Analysis and synthesis: the student is able to analyse and synthesise the relevant concepts and to present arguments logically and coherently.
Use of references: appropriate use of standard references.

24–26/30
Knowledge and understanding: good knowledge of the subject.
Analysis and synthesis: good analytical and synthesis skills; arguments are presented coherently.
Use of references: appropriate use of standard references.

27–29/30
Knowledge and understanding: very good knowledge of the subject.
Analysis and synthesis: very good analytical and synthesis skills.
Use of references: evidence of further study and in-depth understanding.

30/30 with honours
Knowledge and understanding: excellent and comprehensive knowledge of the subject.
Analysis and synthesis: excellent analytical, critical and synthesis skills.
Use of references: evidence of substantial independent study and in-depth understanding.

Learning assessment may also be carried out online, should the conditions require it.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP referring teacher within their Department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

1. Explain the scope, methods and objectives of agricultural policy, providing examples of public intervention.

2. Analyse the role of agriculture in economic development.

3. Describe ISTAT’s General Agricultural Census and outline its main uses in analysing the sector.
4. Compare the main risk management tools in agriculture.
5. Identify the main statistical and institutional sources that can be used to analyse a rural area.
6. Explain the role of ISMEA in supporting entrepreneurship and access to land.
7. Compare credit, mutual guarantees and insurance as instruments for supporting agricultural enterprises.
8. Analyse a proposed case study and identify the most appropriate agricultural policy instrument, justifying the choice.

9. Outline the main European Union institutions responsible for agricultural policy.
10. Explain the role of business networks in the development and competitiveness of agricultural enterprises.