Economic aspects of organic farming

The course contains several topics concerning rules of organic production, global advocacy for organic production, sustainable agriculture system, the role of organic farming in European Agriculture, organic farming as add value to agriculture, legislation versus economic aspects of organic farming, national and the EU support systems for organic production and marketing.

Lectures

1.Basic information about organic farming in Poland and

2.Basic information about organic farming in the world.

3.Organic production versus factors of agricultural production

4. Farming conversion to organic methods

5. Legal requirements in organic production

6. Costs in organic production

7. Organic production consumers

8. Market research for organic products

9.Processing of organic raw materials

10. Distribution chains - .Future of the organic farming

Classes

1. Main factors of environmental pollution – social costs

2. Food safety and quality

3. Cheaper or better - can we afford conventional agriculture

4. Organic farm and agritourism activities.

5. Legal support, certification

6. Organic farming – business or social experience

7. Are we ready and convinced?

8. Market research methods

9. Animal production in organic farms

10. How to improve organic products business?

1. International Federation of Organic Agriculture - Annual Report 2007, IFOAM Head Office,Germany 2008 (www.ifoam.org)

2. Socio-economic aspects of animal health and food safety in organic farming, PDF http:// orgprints.org/2679/

3. The Development of Agri-tourism on Organic Farming in new EU countries – Poland, Estonia and Slovenia: Report of a Winston Churchill Travellig Fellowship, 2006,

4. Organic Farming Research in the Countries of Europe, http://ew.eea.europa.eu/Agriculture/organic/Europe/of_research_table

5. H. El Bilali – Socio-economic aspects of the conversion to organic agriculture, CIHEAM/ IAM-B, 2003

6. T. Cacek, L.L. Langner - The economic implications of organic farming, Americal Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Virtual Library, http://eap.megill.ca/MagRack/AJAA/AJAA_2.htm

Knowledge:

Student understands the basic theoretical knowledge of tourism, wider knowledge of rural tourism and agritourism, requirements and law regulations and basic knowledge of the economic side of agritourism activity

Skills:

Can conduct SWOT analysis for a farm that would like to start or improve agritourism activity

Can prepare bisnessplan for agritourism farm

Social competence:

Appriciates need of improving knowledge and skills in conducting agritourism activity

Understands need of lifelong learning

Lectures: evaluation of written examination - about 10 topics

Classes:

100% activity during classes

Grade E (2.0) Very low level of understanding , less than 40%

Grade D (3.0) Basic information about the lectures and lab practicals, 45-55%

Grade C (3.5) Ability to discuss any problem at the intermediatelevel 60%

Grade B (4.0) Good understanding of the subject, ability to ask about different issues, 70%

Grade B+ (4.5) Very good knowledge about the subject, student is interested in the subject and asks for more information, works on his own 85%

Grade A (5.0) Excellent understanding, full discussion, very good lab practicals more than 90%