Online
15 ECTS
Modalidad Abierta
El programa se imparte en inglés.
Agriculture and food regulation is no longer primarily the responsibility of states, but implies common rules, common principles and common regulators extended to the world scale. In addition, it is multidimensional, implying a balanced protection of several interests and values. These two aspects raise several problems of a legal, cultural and political nature.
Through a vertical comparison of different food safety regulatory systems students will study the main issues of food safety regulation and different strategies and approaches for analysing them. Students will learn about institutions and agreements such as the World Health Organization, Codex Alimentarius, International Organization for Standards, International Plant Protection Convention and the World Organization for Animal Health, so as to understand their role in international agri-food policy, especially food safety policy. This Specialisation also defines food safety law and regulation in the international legal space focusing on linkages to World Trade Organization (WTO) law.
This Specialisation in International Agri-Food Policy is a mandatory component of the Masters in International Agri-Food Governance and the Postgraduate Diploma in Food Systems and Governance.
Objectives
To provide students with the tools and knowledge to analyse and understand:
o food systems and their role in society.
o how food and agriculture are regulated nationally and internationally.
o how agencies and institutions regulate agriculture and food nationally and internationally.
To provide a framework for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, programmes and viewpoints among players, including other universities, researchers, professionals, civil service, private sector and government.
Understanding of the relationships between economics, environment, society, culture and agri-food policy.
Understanding of international agriculture and food regulatory agencies and corresponding legal texts.
Comprehensive understanding of agricultural regulations and standardisation and their local and international implications.
Comprehensive understanding of international agriculture and food regulatory agencies.
Student profiles
This programme will prepare you to meet the demand for knowledgeable and well-trained food systems analysts and leaders, by fostering practical and critical learning with an international perspective.
The courses are specifically geared towards:
Individuals working in NGOs and community organizations that address issues related to food, and agriculture
Individuals working in the agri-food sector
Public administrators
Policy analysts
Consultants
Lawyers
Journalists specializing in food politics
Professional organizations or international cooperation projects that address issues linked to food and agriculture
Students wishing further education on issues of agri-food governance
Providing students with the necessary tools for improving their employability, giving them the right to knowledge and education to be successful in the different occupations they will have during their lives, is a fundamental purpose of our postgraduate programmes.
The course materials and teaching language is English. A strong grasp of English is required for this programme.
Academic requirements
Students can apply for this specialisation even if they do not have a university degree.
The Specialisation in International Agri-Food Policy is open to everyone with a good grasp of English. The UOC is an open university which means that even if you do not have a high school diploma or university degree you can still take our courses.
If you do not have a recognised university degree then you will receive an equivalency certificate instead of a degree.
Module 1: Policy Analysis
1. Introduction and Overview of Global Food and Agriculture
1.1. Introduction to agriculture and food policy
1.2. Towards a systems approach to policy
1.3. Basic principles of agriculture and food policy
1.4. Basic policy tools in agriculture and food
2. The Economics of Food Consumption
2.1. Determinants of food demand
2.2. Population growth and demographic transition
2.3. Economics of food demand
2.4. Understanding Supply
3. Markets, Prices, Policies and Trade
3.1. Markets and price formation
3.2. Why intervene in markets?
3.3. Role of government in provision of public goods
3.4. Changing structure of food markets
3.5. Policy instruments (redistribution, consumption and production subsidies)
3.6. Trade
4. Critical Approaches to Policy Analysis
4.1. Introduction
4.2. The Policy Analysis Process
4.3. Policy Development: Regimes and Frameworks
4.4. Case Study: Egg Policy in British Columbia, Canada
4.5. Paradigm Change
4.6. Conclusion: Towards Environmental Policy Integration
5. Conclusion
5.1. Food policy developments and future new approaches
5.2. Concerns for the future: Policy considerations
Module 2: Agri-Food Policy, Food Safety and International Trade
1. Agriculture and trade
1.1. Scene setter
1.2. Agricultural, food and trade policy: concepts
1.3. Structure and evolution of agricultural, food and trade protectionism
1.4. Impact of policy on food security and production
1.5. Linkages between domestic and trade measures
1.6. Trade measures and implications
1.7. URAA
2. Food-related regulations (farm-to-fork)
2.1. Scene setter
2.2. What is food?
2.3. Origins of food-related regulations
2.4. Regulations in different stages of food chain
2.5. Types of food regulations
2.6. Factors influencing food-related regulations
2.7. Markets for food regulation or government intervention?
2.8. Implementation
2.9. Regulatory trends in food-related regulation in developed and developing countries
3. Agri-food standards
3.1. Scene setter
3.2. Food and agriculture standards
3.3. Development of standards
3.4. Application of standards (legal considerations)
3.5. Implementation of standards
3.6. Accountability, transparency, and enforcement
3.7. Private standards
4. Food safety
4.1. What is food safety?
4.2. Setting up food safety regulations
5. Other food-related regulations
5.1. Food quality
5.2. Organic standards
5.3. Geographical indicators
5.4. Animal welfare
5.5. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL)
5.6. Other issues
6. Food- related regulations and agricultural production
7. Food-related regulations in trade: barriers or catalyst to trade
7.1. Conceptual relationship between food-related regulations and international trade
7.2. Approaches
7.3. Potential issues
7.4. Standards (regulations): the positive and negative aspects
7.5. Addressing potential disputes in multilateral and bilateral framework
7.6. Final thoughts: Harmonise between countries or not?
8. Methods of analyzing SPS and TBT measures
8.1. Sources and quality of data
8.2. Analytical tools
8.3. Comparison of studies and results
9. Emerging issues in agri-food policy, food safety and trade
9.1. Biosecurity
9.2. DDA
9.3. Climate change
9.4. Food miles
10. Conclusions and summary
Module 3: Introduction to Global Food Safety Law and Regulation
1. What is global food safety law?
2. Global food safety law in action: characters, problems and future perspectives
2.1. The EC-Hormone case
2.2. The EC-Biotech case [extra reading assignment]
2.3. Conclusions: positive and negative perspectives of the global food safety framework
3. The global legal framework of food safety law and regulation and its actors
3.1. Principles and rationale governing food safety law
3.2. The Joint Food Standards Programme and the objectives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
3.3. The International Office of Epizootics and the International Plant Protection Convention
3.4. The SPS and the TBT Agreements
3.5. The Cartagena Biosafety Protocol
3.6. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)
3.7. The World Health Organization (WHO)
3.8. Conclusions
4. The Codex Alimentarius Commission
4.1. Two study cases of Codex standards: The international standard on irradiated foods and the international standard on corn
4.2. The organizational structure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
4.3. The standard-setting activity of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
4.4. The legitimacy of the Codex Alimentarius Commission: values and drawbacks
5. Conclusions and summary of the course