Environment, Agriculture and Food: Economic and Policy Analysis

The connections between environment, agriculture and food are inherent in our social, cultural and economic networks. Land use, natural resource management, energy balances and environmental impacts are all important components in the evolution of agricultural systems. Therefore it is important to develop ways in which to understand these connections in order to design effective agricultural programs and food policies. This course is designed to provide students with guidance on the models and tools needed to conduct an economic research study on the intersecting topics of environment, agriculture and food. Students will learn how to develop original research ideas using a quantitative and applied policy analysis for professional and scholarly audiences. Students will collect and synthesize data for quantitative analysis, which will provide outcomes and recommendations based on scholarly, objective and policy relevant research rather than on advocacy or opinions. Students will produce a final professional-quality report for a workshop presentation and publication.