Course Code: C110

Course Title: Agricultural trade & policy

College: SOAS CEDEP

Course Director: Andrew Dorward

Course Description: This course is concerned with issues which are critical to the current and future welfare of mankind. Agriculture (broadly defined) is the source of nearly all of the world's food and also provides industrial raw materials. In poorer countries, agriculture is usually found to be the largest economic sector for the provision of employment (self-employment and paid employment) and the agricultural and food sectors also generate much linked economic activity and employment, for example in processing and trading. For the great majority of people in richer countries, and also for an increasing number of people in poorer countries, direct involvement in agriculture and agricultural processing is no longer relevant to their food security. Nevertheless, these people still need high quality food systems, able to deliver to them nutritious and healthy foods, continuously, at prices which are affordable and stable and without damaging the natural resource environment. At the heart of effective food systems are complex webs of local, national, regional and global trade.

By the end of this course, you will have an understanding of:

• The neo-classical arguments about: absolute and comparative advantage; the gains from trade; factor intensities and factor prices (under trade; trade and income distribution;

• The critiques of the neo-classical model and basics of the new trade theories;

• The purposes and effects of policy instruments which restrict free trade (tariffs, quotas etc) and how to analyse them.;

• The economic linkages between domestic agricultural policies and the global economy;

• The effects on the agricultural sector and agricultural trade of changes in the real exchange rate and other economy-wide factors, and how to analyse them;

• The indicators commonly used in trade policy analysis and how to calculate and evaluate them critically;

• The relationships central to the trade-environment debate and the relative roles of trade agreements and environmental agreements in alleviating the extent of transboundary externalities;

• The current issues in international trade, including the multinational trade negotiations under the World Trade Organisation (including the Uruguay Round and Doha Development Agenda) and regional trade agreements (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and EU Cotonou Agreement).

Assessment: Exam 100%

Course Credit: All SOAS CeDEP short course students receive a certificate of completion. Students of SOAS CeDEP Short Courses who may wish to transfer credit to Certificate, Diploma or Masters-level programmes are advised to select short courses which also act as Core Modules on CeDEP's various programmes.

Course Study Hours/Duration: 240 hrs over 35 weeks

Schedule of Availability: Feb - Oct (Enrolment deadline prior to Feb start - 30th November)

Delivery Mechanisms: Print; CD-Rom; Online Discussion

Cost: £960

How to apply: To enquire about applying for this course, or for any other information, please contact the Course Administrator using the online Enquiry Form below