Challenges of Agribusiness Management

The first week aims at illustrating the history, the evolution and the current features of the agrifood industry. Conditions, capabilities and competences that allowed Italy to become the first country worldwide in terms of quality agrifood products, with some 3000 quality products all over the world, are examined. At a later stage, the agrifood supply chain composition is analyzed, meant as all players operating around farms, and more details are given regarding the industry competitive dynamics, mainly intended as the bargaining power imbalance between a palyer and the other.

The second week focuses on the challenges of the global agro-system. Population growth, income growth, transition of emergent economies toward a high-calorie diet: all these levers increase the demand for food. At the same time, climate changing emissions and the process of desertification of arable lands threaten the production of sufficient food to feed the world. Another theme investigated during the second week is the process of commoditization of agricultural products. Firstly, distinctive aspects of commodities are analyzed, then it is explained the impact of industrialization and economy of services on price transmission along the agrifood value chain and on agriculture value added reduction.

The third week analyzes the meaning of the term “innovation”, firstly from a generic point of view, identifying the ingredients for a successful innovation process and discussing the growing importance of services in business. Subsequently, the agrifood industry main innovation trends (i.e. biotech and bigdata) are analyzed through a series of interviews addressed to players that represent those trends as SDF Group and Syngenta. Final webinars focus on sustainability. It is explained how sustainability can be carried out through best practices and how agriculture can impact on and benefit from ecosystem services.

In the last week, the agri-food industry is analyzed looking at new business concepts and models. Firstly, new farmers’ distinctive characteristics are examined and, through an interview, the future development of the Common Agricultural Policy are discussed. New business models are then investigated through interviews and webinars regarding sustainable ways of handling farms today, both from an economic and an environmental point of view. Concepts such as downstream integration, supply chain integration, multifunctionality and digitalization are discussed. Finally, the notion of business cooperation is deepened and benefits of cooperation from small-scale farmers point of view are listed.