Agricultural policy

Course title:

Agricultural policy

Course code:

IFAGP

ECTS:

5

In-class hours

Lectures:

30

Laboratory work/Tutorials:

30

Self-preparation hours

Practical training:

30

Other:

35

Total hours:

125

Language:

English

Study cycle:

BSc, Master

Semester:

Winter, summer

Faculty:

Faculty of Economics

Name of the lecturer(s):

Assoc. Prof. Dimo Atanasov, PhD

Mode of delivery:

Face-to-face, distance learning

Prerequisites:

No prerequisites

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

Annotation:

European agriculture is a strategic sector with multifunctional nature. Its main objectives are to provide food to the people, raw materials to the industry, employment and income. Agriculture is associated with the environment, with the social and cultural traditions of the rural regions. Due to its strong dependence on climatic conditions, socio-economic and demographic factors etc., external intervention is required to ensure long-term sustainability. In times of market economy and world globalization, governments or other responsible institutions intervene in agriculture, in order to eliminate the defects accompanying the free market mechanism, such as uneven distribution of income, irrational use of resources, possible monopolization of the market, unbalanced production, price volatility etc.

The Agricultural Policy is a course of action or intervention of the state, the government or the responsible institutions in the field of economic, environmental and social processes happening in agriculture, aiming by a set of instruments or mechanisms to achieve long-term sustainable development of the sector.

Course description:

This course is a combination of series of lectures and seminars on topics related to the peculiarities of agriculture, requiring external intervention in the sector, policy options for action, objectives to be pursued, and tools for their achievement. This should help students studying at the Agricultural University – Plovdiv, to understand the problems of agriculture and their possible solution in the conditions of EU membership.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, students should gain the ability to:

1. Understand The Common Agricultural Policy of EU (objectives, principles, mechanisms).

2. Understand the main legislation of EU in the field of agriculture.

3. Understand the Rural Development Program of EU and its possibilities.

4. Define existing problems in the agricultural production sector.

5. Understand what the optimal situation in the sector should look like.

6. Articulate the best possible policy actions in the specific situation.

7. Choose suitable methods for intervention in agriculture and the best way for their application.

8. Apply sustainable production methods and good agricultural practices, as well as animal welfare techniques for simultaneously achieving economic, ecological and social goals.

Course contents:

Contents of the program:

Topic 1 Characteristics of agriculture and reasons for institutional  interference in the sector

Topic 2 Concepts of government intervention in agriculture

Topic 3 Nature and objectives of agricultural policy

Topic 4 Tools of the Agricultural policy

Topic 5 Types of agricultural policies

Topic 6 History of European agricultural policy

Topic 7 Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union

             First pillar - Farmer’s income guarantee

             Second pillar - Rural Development

Topic 8 Common Market Organization

Topic 9 Pre-accession European programs for new member-states

Topic 10 European legislation in the agricultural sector

Topic 11 Application of the rural development program in Bulgaria and the new member-states. Axes and measures.

Topic 12 Elaboration of projects for financing under the European rural development program

Recommended or required reading:

1.            “Agricultural policy”  Maria Coneva, Publishing “Trakia-M” Sofia, 2001, ISBN 954-9574-72-5

2.            “Agricultural policy”  Rangel Trendafilov, Publishing “Bolid” Stara Zagora, ISBN 954-612-007-3

3.            www.evropa.bg

4.            www.europa.eu

5.            www.mzh.govenment.bg

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

Monological explanation (lecture, presentation)

Dialogue methods (tutorials, conversation,discussion)

Assessment methods and criteria:

Written test