京都大学 京都大学

Agro-Food System : Theory and Reality

Numbering Code U-AGR04 2D209 LJ82 Year/Term 2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits 2 Course Type Lecture
Target Year 2nd year students Target Student
Language Japanese Day/Period Wed.4
Instructor name KITO YAYOI (Graduate School of Agriculture Senior Lecturer)
Outline and Purpose of the Course Agricultural, forestry, and fishery products go through many stages from primary production to consumption. These include production, processing, manufacturing, and distribution. There is also the agricultural materials industry upstream of agricultural production, and these actors are linked by various forms of relationships based on integration and transactions.

The aim of this course is to grasp the structure of these multistage chains of various actors as a food system (or an agro-food system), understand the structure of the chains, the structure of competition at each stage, and the factors influencing them, and thereby examine the current issues.

First, this course introduces the definitions of various concepts related to the food system and methods for analyzing the system and outlines its situation. The structure and characteristics of each stage of industry will be discussed from the third week onwards. We will also discuss aspects of enterprise integration, transaction patterns, pricing and quality coordination as vertical relationships across multiple stages of the food system, characteristics of consumers' food purchasing behavior, and systems for ensuring food safety.
Course Goals ・To understand the analytical perspectives and framework of the food system.
・To understand the situation surrounding the food system and today's challenges.
・Based on the analytical perspectives and framework described above, to be able to analyze individual cases and examine the structure of their food system, the characteristics of quality coordination and pricing, and the problems faced by the food system.
Schedule and Contents Lectures will be conducted according to the following plan. However, the order and weightage of topics may be changed according to the progress of lectures or any current issues.

Week 1: Introduction: Food system concepts and perspectives for analysis
Week 2: The situation surrounding the food system: Changes in distribution structure and consumption patterns
Week 3: Structure and features of the agricultural materials industry and the agriculture/livestock industry
Week 4: Structure and features of the food wholesale industry
Week 5: Structure and features of the food manufacturing industry
Week 6: Structure and features of the ready-made meal and restaurant industry
Week 7: Structure and features of food retail industry
Week 8: Vertical coordination in the food system I: Integration and transactions
Week 9: Vertical coordination in the food system II: Pricing and quality coordination
Week 10: Vertical coordination in the food system III: System for ensuring fair trade
Week 11: Consumers' food purchasing decision-making and price evaluation
Week 12: Consumers' perceptions/attitudes regarding food and the effect of information on them
Week 13: Framework for food safety
Week 14: Course conclusion
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Week 15: Feedback
Evaluation Methods and Policy Grading will be carried out on a basis of class performance (40%), mid-term essay (30%), and final examination (essay) (30%).

Class performance includes attendance, class participation, and the reaction paper submitted at the end of each lecture.

The evaluation criteria and policies are in accordance with the "Evaluation Criteria and Policies" described in the Student Handbook of the Faculty of Agriculture for the relevant year.
Course Requirements Nothing in particular
Study outside of Class (preparation and review) An interim report for review and consideration of the topics is required. In addition, some homework such as a mini-report or reading as review or preparation for the lecture may be expected.

References and materials related to the content of each lecture will be given, but students are advised to actively review other materials related to their topics of interest.
Textbooks Textbooks/References Will not be used. Materials or summaries of the lecture will be provided.
References, etc. 新山陽子 『牛肉のフードシステム』 (日本経済評論社) ISBN:4818813354,
新山陽子編著 『フードシステムと日本農業』 (一般社団法人放送大学教育振興会) ISBN:9784595318870,
時子山ひろみ・荏開津典生・中嶋康博 『フードシステムの経済学 第５版』 (医歯薬出版) ISBN:9784263706060,
日本農業市場学会編 『農産物・食品の市場と流通』 (筑波書房) ISBN:9784811905495,
Others will be introduced during class.
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