Sound economic thinking is crucial for farmers because they depend on good economic decision making to survive. Governments depend on economic information to make good policy decisions on behalf of the community. This course will help you to contribute to better decision making by farmers, or by agencies servicing agriculture, and it will help you to understand why farmers respond to policies and economic opportunities in the ways they do.
Agriculture, Economics and Nature
Agriculture, Economics and Nature
Instructor: Professor David Pannell, BSc(Agric), BEc, PhD
50,363 already enrolled
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7
(499 reviews)
Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 16 hours
Learn at your own pace
98%
Most learners liked this course
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Assessments
7 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 7 modules in this course
Week 1 provides a history of agricultural production and prices, an examination into the reasons behind changes in production and prices, and discussions of the 2007 global food crisis and agriculture’s usage of resources.
What's included
11 videos9 readings1 assignment
Week 2 addresses the agricultural issues of water availability, peak phosphorus, herbicide resistance, and climate change.
What's included
9 videos8 readings1 assignment
Week 3 looks at the relationship between inputs and outputs, the optimal level of an input, the question of pollution from inputs, and flat payoff functions.
What's included
9 videos4 readings1 assignment
Week 4 focuses on evaluating land conservation practices, weighing benefits and costs correctly, non-economic factors, and provides an example in conservation agriculture.
What's included
9 videos6 readings1 assignment
Week 5 discusses the importance of extending economics beyond the farm gate, characteristics of agri-environmental projects, Benefit: Cost Analysis, and provides an example with Gippsland Lakes.
What's included
8 videos7 readings1 assignment
Week 6 ties up the course through discussion of government policies that support agriculture, policies that protect the rural environment, policies with problems, and justifications for agricultural policy.
What's included
8 videos8 readings1 assignment
What's included
1 assignment
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.8 (117 ratings)Offered by
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4.7
499 reviews
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Showing 3 of 499
SA
5
Reviewed on Dec 31, 2023
Taking this course has broaden my knowledge as an extension personnel of how nature plays its role on the output of agricultural products.
SS
5
Reviewed on Jan 7, 2023
A very insightful course. This course provided all the lessons from the very basic to the core of agricultural and environmental economics.
NW
5
Reviewed on Dec 19, 2018
Interesting material, good presentation and explanations. Provided some incentive to undertake other similar MOOC's if they become available.
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