Strategic Management of Agricultural Firms, Markets and Marketing

Module Agri-Food Markets and Marketing

The student acquires the basic tools for the knowledge of the market for agricultural and food products in the context of economic systems developed, as well as the skills necessary to analyze development strategies and models of marketing in the competitive market.
At the end of the course the student will be able to develop a business marketing plan, an indispensable tool for access to the financial resources available in the programming of European Funds.

1) knowledge and understanding 

Students acquire knowledge and the ability to understand the specificities of the agri-food system, with reference to the complexity of the organisation of the supply system and the expectations of modern consumers. In particular, they will know and understand the complexity of the relationships that are established between the enterprises operating in the supply chains, as well as applying the principles of marketing to the agri-food productions carried out in the enterprises within the reference environment.

2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

Students will be able to appropriately and critically apply the knowledge acquired to analyse, understand and apply the principles of marketing to businesses in the agri-food system.

3) autonomy of judgement

Students will be able to connect in integrated and unitary schemes the knowledge of the various elements acquired during the course and to confront the complexity of real problems autonomously and with their own judgement. They will, therefore, be able to judge the most suitable solutions to improve the competitiveness of agri-food products or the opportunities and threats to the competitive positioning of agri-food companies on the market.

4) Communication skills

Students must acquire clear, effective and precise communication skills, thanks to a good command of the vocabulary of the discipline taught during the Course

5) learning skills

Students will have acquired the ability to undertake subsequent study of marketing principles and their application in other sectors and/or to acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities through professional and work experience within organisations operating in the agri-food system.

Lectures, exercises, practical applications

The course is structured in 56 hours of which 28 hours of lectures and 28 hours of exercises. The exercises consist of individual and group work and/or in-depth seminars.

Tools to support teaching

Blackboard, videoprojector, computer, internet access. All lessons are held with the help of presentations in ppt

If teaching is given in a mixed formula or remotely, necessary changes may be introduced to what was previously stated in order to comply with the provided and reported  syllabus.

Learning assessment may be done remotely if necessary.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. 

It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.

Agri-food Supply and Demand Analysis. Market Structure and Pricing. Models of Trade. Commercial Policy. Agriculture and Agri-food System in Domestic and International Trade. Characteristics of the Associate-Economic System. The Marketing. General Analysis of the Market. Informative System of Market. Strategic Marketing. Operational Marketing. Politics of the Distribution. Politics of the Price. Politics of Promotion. Politics of the Product. Marketing Plan.

1. Messori F., Ferretti F. Economia del mercato agro-alimentare, 2010, EDAGRICOLE, Bologna.

2. PAUL PETER J.,- JAMES H. DONNELLY jr: Marketing. McGraw-Hill, Milano.

3. Publications distributed during the course

4. Additional text for ERASMUS's students: Philip Kotler, Kevin Lane Keller. “Marketing Management, Global Edition”. Pearson Education Limited. EAN: 9781292092621.

The examination will be carried out by means of:

- written in itinere test (S)

- final oral examination with possible presentation of a case study (O)

The learning assessment may also be conducted electronically, should the conditions require it.

The learning assessment is conducted by means of an oral interview. The assessment of the student's preparation will be based on the following criteria: the student's ability to learn and the level of in-depth study of the topics covered, the student's ability to summarise and expound, and the student's reasoning ability.

The grading follows the following scheme:

Unsuitable 

Knowledge and understanding of topic: Significant deficiencies. Significant inaccuracies 

Ability to analyse and synthesise: Irrelevant. Frequent generalisations. Inability to summarise

Use of references: Completely inappropriate

18-20

Subject knowledge and understanding: At threshold level. Obvious imperfections 

Capacity for analysis and synthesis: Barely sufficient capacity 

Use of references: Barely appropriate

21-23

Knowledge and understanding of the subject matter: Routine Knowledge Ability to analyse and synthesise: Is able to analyse and synthesise correctly. Argues logically and coherently 

Use of references: Uses standard references

24-26

Knowledge and understanding of subject matter: Good knowledge 

Analysis and synthesis abilities: Has good analysis and synthesis abilities. Arguments are expressed coherently 

Use of references: Uses standard references

27-29

Knowledge and understanding of the subject: Knowledge more than good

Capacity for analysis and synthesis: Has considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis

Use of references: Has deepened the arguments

30-30L

Knowledge and understanding of the subject: Very good knowledge

Capacity for analysis and synthesis: Has considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis.

Use of references: Has significant in-depth knowledge.

1 The candidate illustrates the agri-food system and its articulation into subsystems

2 The candidate illustrates the role of analytical marketing and strategic and operational marketing in the decision-making process of the enterprise

3 The candidate defines the strategic choices in product policy