Rural Developments

Rural areas and agriculture at the beginning of 21st face new challenges. Agriculture is no more the main sector of employment in the world, and in many countries farm households’ income from off-farm income is bigger than from farming. Increasing environmental awareness, rural depopulation, etc. require new educational programs. Rural development presents different examples of those from different countries.

The program includes three groups of sustainable rural development problems: i. demographic processes in developing and developed countries with emphasis on urban/ rural population ratio with consequences to global and local food markets; ii. environmental aspects of agriculture, i.e. different ag technologies, concentration of plant and animal production, pros and cons biofuels etc.; iii. ag and rural economics including changing ratio of farm households income, part time farming, farm diversification and market information systems as a tool for farm managers for decision making process.

Lectures: (15 lectures)

1. Basics on world rural areas

2. Basics on agriculture in world economies

3. Sources of information: Internet domains, key words

4. World agriculture: opportunities and challenges

5. Rural areas: problems and development priorities

6. Sustainable rural development factors

7. Renewable energy – alternative choices and consequences

8. International organizations supporting rural development

and agriculture

9. Non government organizations and rural dwellers problems

10. Trends in farm household income – selected countries

11. Farm diversification – EU and US example

12. Farm diversification – selected countries example

13. Alternative plant and animal production

14. Market information systems aids decision making process

15. Summary

Classes: (30 classes and workshops)

1. Organizational matters, criteria of evaluation

2. Required elements of analysis, methods of presentation.

3 – 7. Each student describes and presents his/her rural

development in his/ her country:

agricultural production, food and fiber processing,

agribusinesses, factories, utilities, schools, transportation

systems, and other important activities. Focus on those

created by humans.

8 – 10. Rural development cases: chosen examples from

other regions/ countries of the world;

11. Class / group discussions to help students to compare

rural development patterns and institutions

12 – 17. Farm diversification: case studies

18 - 23. Global and regional food markets – trends,

challenges,

24 - 26. SWOT analysis of rural and agricultural problems

27 – 29. Market information in Internet – case studies,

30. Summary: discussion on rural and agricultural

problems.

Subject statistic

1. Number of hours and ECTS credits - compulsory subject Hours: 150; ECTS: 6

2. Number of hours and ECTS credits - facultative subject Hours: -; ECTS: -

3. Total number of hours and ECTS credits, a student must earn by direct contact with academics (lectures, classes, seminars....) Hours: 45; ECTS: 1,8

4. Total number of hours and ECTS credits, a student earns in the course of a practical nature, such as laboratory, field trips and design classes Hours: 20; ECTS: 0,8

5. Expected personal workload (without or with academics participation during consultations) necessary for realization of subject objectives. Hours: 105; ECTS: 4,2

Publications of FAO, OECD, USDA, ERS, Eurostat, European Commission

Completing the course a student will gain:

Knowledge: on main problems of rural communities in different regions of the world, i.e. from developed to developing economies;

Knowledge of farm household income in different countries, farm diversification examples etc.

ii./ Skills:

Student is able on his/her own to find reliable data and information on different rural development examples

evaluates their applicability to local conditions; to analyze links between economic needs and opportunities in a sustainable development context.

C/ Social competence:

Student is sensible to social conditions and consequences of economic changes, prepared for considering different viewpoints;

gains or improves his/her openness to team work.

Classes: grades based on presentation of analyzed topics

Lectures: written and oral exams: 4 questions, 1 issue relating to the lectures; graded from 2 to 5 points ea

Grade E (2.0) Below 50%

Grade D (3.0) 50% - 60%

Grade C (3.5) 61% – 71%

Grade B (4.0) 72% – 82%

Grade B+ (4.5) 83% - 93%

Grade A (5.0) 94% or more