Multifunctional Rural Development

Presentation and analysis of rural problems including rural spatial planning, preliminary period of Polish membership in EU, Common Agricultural Policy and it’s influence on EU agriculture and rural areas, Lisbon strategy priorities and rural SMEs, social problems including depopulation of rural areas, sources of information on rural EU.

Students will be prepared to face new challenges related to problems of rural Poland, i.e. implementation of Common Agricultural Policy: opportunities and requirements; decreasing role of farming in farm household income, off-farm income opportunities; sustainable development requirements, institutional support for rural development.

Lectures:

1. Polish agriculture – basic data;

2. EU agriculture – employment, share in GDP, farms structure;

3. Rural areas in transitional period;

4. Common Agricultural Policy, Who benefits?

5. EU rural development priorities;

6. Agriculture and rural development in EU budget;

7. Selected agricultural markets;

8. Food markets and demographic/household structure changes;

9. Ag market information system;

10. Institutional support for development of rural areas;

11. Farm household income, off farm income;

12. Farm diversification in EU;

13. Co-operatives and their role in rural development;

14. Agriculture in EU: opportunities and challenges;

15. Sources of information on agriculture and food sector in EU.

Eurostat, European Commission: Agriculture and rural development

EUROPA - portal site of the European Union

Knowledge:

Lectures provide knowledge on crucial aspects of EU rural and agricultural problems including constituent elements of sustainable development, shaped by Common Agricultural Policy and Europe 2020 Strategy, trends in employment rate and share in GDP, based on overall EU economics and particular countries;

- indentifies problems of changing relation between farm households income from farming, from farm diversification and off farm activities

- student gains knowledge on pros and cons arguments related to share of agriculture and rural development in consecutive financial perspectives in EU GDP: 2007 – 2013 and 2014 - 2020;

- identifies the current social processes and environment factors influencing agri-business development.

Skills:

- can independently indentify different, reliable sources of information and interpret, analyze gained data;

- can analyze and present individually and in a team up-to-dated picture of economic, social and ecological processes taking place on rural areas of EU and particular member countries;

- can evaluate applicability of some successful cases of off farm activities/ farm diversification, implemented in other EU countries, to Polish conditions.

Social competences:

- he/she organizes team work,

- is aware of the role of rural dwellers and agriculture in national and international EU community social changes in the era of globalization;

- understands the stabilizing social function of agriculture and food sector, particularly during the periods of economic disturbances;

- appreciates rural cultural heritage as an important part of the national identity, and often underestimated potential to revitalize economics of remote areas particularly, to stop or to slow down depopulation of villages;

Classes:

evaluation of the quality of class and home works (including correctness and accuracy of data selection and analytical skills, collaboration with other students), quality of the chosen topic presentation;

two options: i. grades for elaborated and presented topics during semester or ii. grades written and oral answers for the topics presented by other students (from group i.)

Lectures:

written test exam: 3 or 4 questions on the entire range of the subject, including own analysis of some trends, tendencies, pros and cons of some issues.

Grade E (2.0) Does not know basic data and characteristics of the most important economic, social, and environmental relations and processes. Does not identify crucial sources of information and basic EU institutions shaping agricultural and rural policy.

Grade D (3.0) Selectively knows only approximately some data, superficially characterizes some issues.

Grade C (3.5) Correctly characterizes the majority of issues, knows some data, some sources of information; knows some required data. Correctly, but superficially characterizes trends in rural development in EU.

Grade B (4.0) Characterizes the most important issues, trends in rural development, knows required data; lists and describes the most important institutions performing key role in rural development.

Grade B+ (4.5) Sufficiently characterizes required issues, trends, knows required data, knows and explains the ongoing processes, knows reliable sources of information.

Grade A (5.0) Entirely characterizes required issues, trends, data, knows and explains the ongoing processes, knows arguments of supporters and opponents to present-day rural development policy, controversial issues.