NES2102 : Agricultural Economics and Policy
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Carmen Hubbard
- Lecturer: Professor Guy Garrod
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module provides students with the basic analytical tools to evaluate the impact of agricultural and environmental policy changes on agricultural markets. The module explains and uses the principles of agricultural economics to help students gaining a better understanding of various national and international issues and major events (e.g., Brexit, free-trade agreements, international economic and political shocks) and their effects on the UK agricultural sector as a whole and at the farm level.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module is divided into two main sections:
1) Principles of Agricultural Economics
2) Agricultural and Agri-environmental Policies.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Five lectures on the principles of economics with a focus on agricultural markets and five lectures on agricultural and environmental policies. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 28:00 | 28:00 | Take home coursework (100%) |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Module lecturer will give students relevant reading to prepare for lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Workshops will provide an opportunity for students to practice their analytical skills and problem solving skills in a guided environment. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Drop-in surgeries for students to ask questions and seek guidance on the preparation for assessment. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 45:00 | 45:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introduction to the module |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Students will have full access to all reading materials. Class discussion, Q/A sessions, debates will be encouraged during class. Lecture material is comprehensive, extensive and requires substantial student study outside the classroom.
The assignment is set specifically to test learning objectives, and encourage students to practice their critical analytical and problem solving skills, and extend and apply their knowledge and understanding to real farm business situations.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 100 | The assessment is a combination of a report/essay on policy measures (max. 1000 words) (60% of total mark) plus one problem solving exercise based on 2-3 questions on applied farm economics (40% of final mark). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The summative assignment consists of two parts and is designed in line with the structure of the module (applied economics and policies). The first part consists of a report in which the students will be tested on a range of skills (e.g., analytical and critical thinking, developing complex ideas and solutions) including knowledge and understanding of the concepts and ideas covered during the module as well as research and writing skills. The report/essay question is restricted to a maximum of 1,000 words (excluding the references list). The second part - problem solving exercise tests students their applied economics knowledges.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES2102's Timetable