Economics: Agribusiness

Economics: Agribusiness (AGRI) was an original CAA course that revolved around economic factories within the world of agriculture. This course was only offered at Fresno.

Course Description

From the CTY Course Catalog (1996):

In this course, participants learn basic economic and business principles as illustrated by and applied to agricultural industry. The course will encompass analysis of the planning and production of raw agricultural commodities (supply factors), the conversion of these commodities to finished products (plant scheduling and operation), and the study of factors involved in getting these products to consumers (demand analysis, marketing, and sales). Field trips and computer exercises will supplement classroom work.

To explore economic and business principles, students will examine ingredients in a typical meal from harvest to consumption. Students will observe, for example, tomatoes being harvested, processed and distributed, and then consider what each step in the sequence adds to the cost of both natural and converted products. Supply and demand issues will be explored for all ingredients. As part of this exploration, students will interact with growers, managers, and marketers.

At the conclusion of the course, students will understand basic economic theory, appreciate the many dimensions of economic decision-making, and be able to read and interpret financial reports, including spreadsheets and balance sheets. Students will be encouraged to apply agribusiness understanding and analysis to other sectors of the national economy.

This course is designed by Professors David Smith and John Hagen of the Department of Agricultural Economics in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at CSUF. Students will work in classrooms in the California Agribusiness Center and in the computer laboratory of the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.