AGRI-FOOD ECONOMICS AND LAW

Learning Objectives

• Agri-food economics

  To supply conceptual and practical skills on the agri-food system, adopting both a micro and a macroeconomics perspective of analysis.

• Food legislation

  Knowledge and understanding

  The course aims to teach the fundamental features of Agri-food Criminal Law, by framing the general principles of Criminal Law and by analyzing the most important provisions in force in the agrifood field (both in the Criminal Code and outside) as well as the relevant case law.

  To this aim the two fundamental sides of criminal protection in the agri-food field will be deepened, i.e.: the hygienic-sanitary matter, in which the need for protection of the individual and collective health of consumers is called upon; the economic-commercial matter, in which the need for protection of the fairness of trade from food frauds arises.

  Applying knowledge and understanding

  The course aims to raise students’ awareness of a subject the knowledge of which is crucial for their future professional career in the agri-food field. In particular, the attendance of the course will provide students with the skills of: understanding the logic of criminal policy underlying the role of Criminal Law in the agri-food field; analyzing the relevant legislation on the subject; reading the relative case law.

  In this way, students will become aware of the fundamental interests that are relevant in their future profession as well as of the techniques of criminal protection used by the legal system.

Course Structure

• Agri-food economics

  Lectures (28 hours) and exercises (28 hours).

  In case of on line teaching, it may necessary to change some tipologies of exercises in order to comply with the outline.Learning assessment can also be carried out online, if conditions require it.

• Food legislation

  Lectures ex cathedra (14 hours) as well as tutorials and working groups on case law (14 hours).

  Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the Syllabus.

  Information for students with disabilities and/or DSA. As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.

Detailed Course Content

• Agri-food economics

  Political economy / Economic policy. Microeconomic and macroeconomics. Economic system. Agrifood system. Consumer behavior theory. Utility theory: cardinal and ordinal. Demand theory. The production and the costs theory. Perfect market and Imperfect markets. Free competition; Oligopoly; Monopoly; Bilateral monopoly; Monopolistic competition. Production factors markets. The national income; the income distribution. The commercial policy. International organizations. European Union. The balance of trade and balance of payments. Statistic sources (ISTAT, EUROSTAT, FAO, UNComtrade, CCIAA).

  Information for students with disabilities and/or DSA.
  As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.
  
  

• Food legislation

  The evolution of punitive law in the agri-food field

  Criminal offenders in food law

  Crimes against public health in the agri-food field

  Crimes of counterfeiting and alteration in the agri-food field

  Commercial frauds and protection of Made in Italy

  The sale of not genuine food as genuine

  The sale of industrial food products with false signs

  Manufacture of and trade in foods by usurping industrial property rights

  Counterfeiting of PGI or PDO foods

  Criminal offences provided by Law no. 283/1962

  Connections between agri-food criminal protection and environmental crimes

Textbook Information

• Agri-food economics

  1. Messori, F. (1994). Istituzioni di economia. CLUEB, Bologna.

  2. Gilibert, A. (1996). Manuale di economia politica, Lattes & C..

  3. Mankiw, N. G., Ashworth, A., & Taylor, M. P. (2015). Principi di economia per l'impresa, Zanichelli-

  4. Malassis, L., & Ghersi, G. (Eds.). (1995). Introduzione all'economia agroalimentare. Il Mulino.

  5. Begg D. , Fisher S. , Dornbush R. (2001) Economia . McGraw-Hill

• Food legislation

  Textbook Information

  1. Alberto Gargani (a cura di), Illeciti punitivi in materia agro-alimentare, G. Giappichelli Editore, Torino, 2021.
  2. Stefano Masini, Corso di diritto alimentare, Giuffrè Francis Lefebvre, Milano, 2020.
  3. Nunzio Raimondi (a cura di), Diritto penale degli alimenti. Scritti a margine del convegno Expo-Milano 2015, Rubbettino Editore, 2018.

  The use of an updated criminal code is recommended.