Economics

The course aims to introduce the basic concepts of economic theory, political economy and zooeconomics, with particular emphasis on the evaluation of the economic activity of livestock enterprises and the functioning of the market for animal products in the agri-food system.
Market and enterprise theory and the main types of livestock farming operating in the Italian livestock sector will be examined in detail. Students will be introduced to the evaluation of business processes with a focus on the analysis of the efficiency of economic choices through accounting tools. Finally, the course aims to study in detail the general logic of agricultural policy with reference to the national and European reality.

Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course the student will have acquired knowledge relating to the system of animal production in the context of overall economic dynamics, to the market of products and means, as a context of synthesis between supply and demand and of reciprocal relationship, and to national community policies and regulations relating to animal production.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student will be able to: identify the criteria for the technical-economic organization of intensive, extensive and multi-functional livestock farming; analyze the main economic elements that characterize the activities of the agricultural entrepreneur, determine revenues and costs, apply the tool of the financial statement of an estimative type to understand the economic figures of the company and guide its decisions, use methods of analysis of the efficiency of choices for the improvement of productivity in economic terms.
Critical and judgment skills: the student will be able to critically and proactively approach the study of the subject, using the material and tools provided in class and during the exercises to independently judge the most important elements that constitute the agro-livestock enterprise, the income and development capacity, the adherence to the reference market and to the current community policies.
Ability to communicate what has been learned: the student must be able to express and deal with the notions of political economy learned with an adequate, clear and simple terminology to be able to compare with professionals from other disciplines, but above all to be able to dialogue with the agricultural entrepreneur. This ability will be acquired and verified during the practical exercises.
Lifelong learning skills: the student will be able to independently replicate the "basic" economic concepts learned in relation to the agro-livestock enterprise and in the long term to improve their ability to understand the animal production market in different contexts.