Food Security and Rural Development

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
48
Overall hours
SSD
AGR/01
Language
English
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge, conceptual frameworks and data sources useful for an economic analysis of strengths and weaknesses of food security and rural development in developing countries.
Expected learning outcomes
The skills acquired will make the student able to analyze the rural areas and the food product markets of developing countries to identify the most appropriate actions to be implemented to improve their efficiency.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
FOOD SECURITY
Part I) FOOD SECURITY: BASIC CONCEPTS Definition Of Food Security; Vulnerability, Adaptive capacity, Coping strategies, Resilience; Duration & Severity; Hunger, malnutrition, poverty
Part II) FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS Level of analysis & Reporting formats; Conceptual frameworks: Neoclassical framework; Causality model of malnutrition (nutrition framework); Sustainable Livelihood Approach; Household economy approach; Resilience framework; Food and Nutrition Security Conceptual Framework
Part III) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: INFORMATION SYSTEMS & DATAFAO-GIEWSM; USAID FEWS-NET; WFP-VAM
Part IV) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: INDICATORS National level estimates of FI; Measuring household food access; Measuring food utilization: anthropometry
Part V) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: HOUSEHOLD SURVEY Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCES); USAID, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS); UNICEF, Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS)
Part VI) MARKET ANALYSIS & FOOD SECURITY The WFP approach for food security analysis (CFSVA, EFSA). Market analysis: Structure, Conduct and Performance approach. Method for Performance analysis: purchasing power analysis (Consumer Price Index, Terms of Trade); price stability analysis (seasonality and volatility historical and coefficient of variation-); market integration (concept); prices transmission analysis & measures (elasticity, ratio of percentage changes between two time periods, correlation coefficient, regression analysis, stationary and non stationary series, co-integration and vector error correction model)
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Part I) Introduction to economic development issues
Part II) Poverty and inequality
Part III) Rural development
Part IV) Recent trends in applied research
Prerequisites for admission
Good mastery of Excel.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons with a classroom project
Teaching Resources
Food security
Part I) FOOD SECURITY: BASIC CONCEPTS Understanding Food Insecurity. Key Features, Indicators, and Response Design. Maria Sassi. Published by Springer. ISBN: 9783319703626. (Chapter 1)
Part II) FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS -Understanding Food Insecurity. Key Features, Indicators, and Response Design. Maria Sassi. Published by Springer. ISBN: 9783319703626. (Chapter 2) To integrate with the following materials (available on web)-The Household Economy Approach. A guide for programme planners and policy-makers. Penny Holzmann, with Tanya Boudreau, Julius Holt and Mark Lawrence (FEG Consulting), and Michael O'Donnell (Save the Children) (Chapters 1, 2)-Sustainable livelihoods guidance sheets. Department for International Development (DFID). 94 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL. (Chapters 1, 2)-RIMA-II Resilience index measurement and analysis. Analyzing Resilience for better targeting and action. FAO (Chapters 1, 2, 3)
Part III) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: INFORMATION SYSTEMS & DATA-Understanding Food Insecurity. Key Features, Indicators, and Response Design. Maria Sassi. Published by Springer. ISBN: 9783319703626. (Chapter 3)-This content must be integrated with the information collected on the following websites (see detailed syllabus for the specific topics)-FAO-GIEWS; -USAID FEWS-NET; -WFP-VAM
Part IV) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: INDICATORS and
Part V) INSTRUMENTS FOR FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: HOUSEHOLD SURVEY-Understanding Food Insecurity. Key Features, Indicators, and Response Design. Maria Sassi. Published by Springer. ISBN: 9783319703626. (Chapter 4)-Jones, AD, Ngure, FM, Pelto, G et al. (2013) What are we assessing when we measure food security A compendium and review of current metrics. Adv Nutr 4, 481¿505.-Carletto C, Zezza A, Banerjee R. Towards better measurement of household food security: Harmonizing indicators and the role of household surveys. Glob Food Sec 2013;2:30-40.-Pérez-Escamilla, R., Gubert, M.B., Rogers, B., Hromi-Fiedler, A., 2017. Food security measurement and governance: assessment of the usefulness of diverse food insecurity indicators for policy makers. Global Food Security.
Part VI) FOOD SECURITY ANALYSIS: THE WFP APPROACH-Following the detailed syllabus visit the WFP website
Part VII) MARKET ANALYSIS & FOOD SECURITY -Market Analysis Framework. Tools and Applications for Food Security Analysis and Decision-Making. December 2011, World Food Programme. (available on web) (Chapter 1, 2, 4.1)-Structure-Conduct-Performance and Food Security, FEWS NET Markets Guidance, No 2. May 2008 (available on web) (General overview)-Time-Series Reference Manual. Publisher: Stata Press. Copyright: 2017. ISBN-13: 978-1-59718-254-6. (available on web). (General overview of the following commands: dfuller, varsoc, vecrank, vecm; varbasic, vargranger; regress)
Rural Development
-Ray, Debraj (1998), Development Economics, Princeton University Press
-OECD (2016), A New Rural Development Paradigm for the 21st Century: A Toolkit for Developing Countries, Development Centre Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris.
-Keeley, B. (2015), Income Inequality: The Gap between Rich and Poor, OECD Insights, OECD Publishing, Paris
- FAO IFAD IOM WFP (2018). The linkages between migration, agriculture, food security and rural development. Roma.
- Other bibliographic materials provided by teacher during the course
Assessment methods and Criteria
Attending students:
the exam consists in a classroom presentation and in a written report.
Non attending students:
The exam consists in a written test.

The final score is expressed as n/30.
Results are published on the Ariel site of teachers
AGR/01 - AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND RURAL APPRAISAL - University credits: 6
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
the teacher receives by appointment
ESP (sede di via Celoria,2 - first floor)