Agro-food System
Cod: 22037
Department: DCET
ECTS: 7
Scientific area: Food Science and Technology
Total working hours: 195
Total contact time: 35

This curricular unit will enable the students to acquire scientific and technical skills to evaluate the global of food system, considering actors, markets and products commercialized, as well the companies’ tools to operate into the food system.

Consumer decision process
Food product policies (marketing mix)
Food system
Risk perception

At end of this course each student shall be able to:
• Characterize the global food system
• Explain the decision process consumer behaviour towards agro food products
• Evaluate the influence of risk perception on attitudes and consumer food choice behaviour
• Evaluate the consumer attitudes towards GMOs
• Evaluate the food companies’ tools to operate in food system (marketing mix)

1. Introduction to food system
2. Food consumer behaviour: consumer decision process and food risk perception
3. Consumer attitudes towards GMOs
4. Product: differentiation of food product -  brand; traditional food products
5. Communication (Promotion)
6. Price
7. Place

- Backer, G. A., Grunewald, O., Gorman, W. D., Introduction to Food and Agribusiness Management, Prentice Hall, 2002
- Kittler, P.G., Food and Culture, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004
- Schaffner, D.J., Schroder, W.R., Earle, M.D., Food Marketing: an International Perspective, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003

E-learning (fully online).

Evaluation is made on individual basis and it involves the coexistence of two modes: continuous assessment (60%) and final evaluation (40%). Further information is detailed in the Learning Agreement of the course unit.