Course Descriptions

This course traces the major development periods of Indigenous agriculture in Canada, from prehistory to the present. This course provides a comprehensive reference for students interested in the agricultural history of Canada's First Peoples.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

The analysis and interpretation of farm business financial statements and the use of this information in planning future farm business decisions. Other subjects include machinery economics, individual enterprise analysis, capital investment analysis and succession planning.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 27 credit units of university level courses or permission of the instructor
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 62, AREC 320 or BPBE 320 will not receive credit for this course.

The course covers both a survey of the economics of innovation and presents a practical approach to 21st century entrepreneurship. Students will have the opportunity to develop an innovation idea individually and work together in groups. Students will be exposed to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship practice is explored through guest lectures and discussions with entrepreneurs, with a focus on local entrepreneurship in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 230 or COMM 349 may not take this course for credit.

A study of natural resource economics with emphasis on environmental economics, measurement of non-market goods, project evaluation, issues in urban and rural land use, and conservation. Policy problems related to the foregoing will be examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AGRC 113 or ECON 111.
Note: Students with credit for AREC 330 or BPBE 330 cannot take this course for credit.

Government policy affects our lives on a daily basis, from the patenting of genes and plants to the labeling of genetically modified foods. Increasingly, government policy is affecting agriculture, farming and food. Current topics for discussion include chemical use, food security and sustainability.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 27 credit units of university-level courses, including ECON 111.3, or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 76 or BPBE 251 will not receive credit for this course.

Provides an introduction to federal and provincial income tax as it relates to the agriculture sector. The course stresses the terms, concepts and fundamental principles of income taxation. While tax form preparation will be reviewed, tax concepts, compliance issues and tax planning will be emphasized. The course is designed to expose students to tax laws and how they affect individual decisions and how the taxpayer is/can be integrated with different business organization structures that may be utilized in the agriculture industry.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 27 credit units of university-level courses or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 254 may not take this course for credit

An introduction to probability, statistics, and data management with application to modern agriculture. Topics covered will include the basics of probability, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation, causation, and data management. Through weekly labs students will build skills in spreadsheet software and will perform hypothesis tests on agricultural data.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 27 credit units of university level courses or permission of the instructor

The second course in the agricultural data analytics sequence will build on the foundations developed in AREC 261. Students will deepen their proficiency in data analysis, and develop further skills in regression modeling, managing extensive datasets, machine learning techniques, forecasting, and causal evaluation. Through these topics, students will be exposed to the frontiers of agricultural data analysis.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 2.5 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 261.3
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 361 or AREC 361 cannot take this course for credit.

In this second-year course, students will begin to apply economic theory to anticipate and address the unique and often challenging situations that agribusiness firms often face in agriculture and food markets. The applied economic models will incorporate economic theory related to welfare economics, price analysis, futures markets, asymmetric information, optimal input use, cost-benefit analysis, and environmental economics. Students will learn how to apply these economic models through their application in numerous assignments.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): ECON 111 and AGRC 113 or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 272 cannot take this course for credit.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Note: Students with credit for BPBE 298 will not receive credit for this course.

A calculus-based treatment of microeconomic theory as it applies to optimal resource allocation in agriculture, individual consumer choice, and the behaviour of competitive markets.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 1 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): MATH 104 or 110 or 121 or 125; AREC 272.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 315 cannot take this course for credit.

An introduction to investment feasibility analysis, business finance, and risk theory. Considerable attention is given to developing spreadsheet applications including investment feasibility analysis, bid price models, machine replacements, leasing versus buying and business portfolio/diversification applications.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 1.5 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): COMM 201.
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): COMM 203.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 322 cannot take this course for credit.

Describes the current structure of the agricultural industry as well as any changes taking place. Analytical methods including pricing models, measures of market structure, and game theory are developed to help understand and assess firm and industry behavior. Various empirical perspectives and linkages to theory are also introduced. This knowledge is used to examine topical issues like price discrimination, advertising, auctions, cartels and vertical integration/mergers as practiced by firms or industries associated with the agricultural sector.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 262 and AREC 272 or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 342 cannot take this course for credit.

A study of the Canadian grain and livestock marketing systems, procedures and institutions. Examines the price discovery methods used in grains and livestock marketing including: open (futures) market, marketing boards, teletype auctions, etc. Other topics include: the historical evolution of current marketing systems, marketing functions, government policy and regulation and market structure.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 30 credit units or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 66 or BPBE 343 cannot take this course for credit.

Provides a supply chain perspective of science, technology, production practice, product handling, product marketing systems, and end uses for grain produced in Saskatchewan. Students will learn how public and private institutions have evolved to govern the process of scientific discovery and marketing to increase the value created in the sector and how different processes, regulations and institutions have evolved to address issues within the supply chain. Contemporary issues such as organic marketing, GM market impacts, and kernel visual distinguishability will be examined. There are additional non-refundable costs in addition to tuition fees.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AGRC 113 and ECON 111 or successful completion of 60 credit units at the university level or permission from the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 344 cannot take this course for credit. There are additional non-refundable costs in addition to tuition fees.

Introduces the principles of salesmanship and their application to agricultural business. Emphasis will be placed on the application of principles to real-world situations and on building selling skills through class projects. Students will learn tactical selling skills, develop self-management skills, and study strategic selling techniques. Policies (current and impending) and regulations governing salesmanship are discussed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): COMM 204 or AREC 343 or permission of the instructor
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 72 or BPBE 346 will not receive credit for this course.

Focuses on the role of the agri-marketing manager as a decision maker who is often responsible for formulating strategic marketing plans. Topics include the agricultural and agribusiness marketing environment, managing customer heterogeneity, managing competitive responses to marketing activities, and allocation of resources among marketing activities. The marketing activities of Saskatchewan's agribusinesses will be examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): COMM 204
Note:Students with credit for BPBE 74 or BPBE 347 will not receive credit for this course.

The course covers topical issues in food economics and consumer behaviour, the drivers of consumer food choices, and implications for food and agribusinesses. Insights from behavioural economics and marketing are used to explore different models of consumer behaviour, along with methods to measure and evaluate consumer preferences, attitudes, and choice behaviours. Topical issues in differentiated consumer food markets are examined, for example, sustainability, animal welfare, health and nutrition, local foods, and consumer responses to new technologies. Key questions include: what drives consumer behaviours and preferences, what tools are available to measure and evaluate these behaviours and preferences, and what are the implications for the food and agribusiness sector.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 or ECON 211.3 (or permission of instructor)
Note: Students with credit for AREC 398 Food Economics and Consumer Behaviour will not receive credit for this course.

The agricultural sector is increasingly gathering more data and there is a need for analytical skills that can support optimal decision making in agribusinesses. This course offers students an introduction to quantitative economic decision analysis using spreadsheets. Students will be oriented to the tools and techniques used in data-driven management science such as mathematical programming, probabilistic techniques, simulation, and forecasting.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 60 credit units, including COMM 201.3.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 354 will not receive credit for this course.

Provides an introduction to the international commercial policy and industrial environment within which international agribusiness operates and examines the business strategies available to firms to deal with the particular policy and commercial risks associated with international agribusiness.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 398 "Economics of International Agribusiness" or BPBE 356 will not receive credit for this course.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Note: Students with credit for BPBE 398 willl not receive credit for this course.

This course develops the theory and practice of operational and supply chain management techniques applied to agriculture. Techniques and procedures are developed that can be used by managers or professional consultants to help improve operational efficiency in modern agriculture. Topics may vary, but will typically include forecasting, decision trees, numerical optimization, productivity analysis, queueing theory, logistics (including transportation and inventory analysis), the theory of fair division and an overview of agricultural forecasting/simulation models in support of agricultural management and business decisions.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 or permission of the instructor (AREC 262.3 is highly recommend).
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 420 may not take this course for credit.

This course uses case studies to apply theories learned during previous courses to real-world decisions made within the agribusiness environment. Students will use critical thinking while they work individually and in teams to identify problems and develop solutions to issues faced by agribusiness managers. Cases will cover a variety of agribusiness topics including finance, management, marketing, sustainability and social responsibility.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s):Successful completion of 90 credit units of university-level courses; or COMM 101, COMM 201 and either AREC 222 or AREC 322; or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 428 cannot take this course for credit

Management of natural resources requires an understanding of the biophysical characteristics of resources, the behaviour of resource owners and users, and the broader impacts of these resources on society. In this course you will apply economic tools to manage and allocate natural resources from both the private and public policy perspective. The goal of this course is to use economic theory and empirical methods to analyze natural resource issues and related policy discussions.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): One of AREC 238.3, ECON 275.3 or ECON 277.3, or permission of the instructor.
Note:Students with credit for BPBE 430 may not take this course for credit.

Rural development patterns are investigated in this course using a Regional Economics (including Community Economics) Framework. The class focusses on measurement of rural development, theories of rural development, and business and personal location patterns. Review also includes studies related to central place hierarchy and rural-urban fringe. Review of rural development policies and economic evaluation of rural development programs is also a part of this class.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272 or ECON 211; some knowledge of macroeconomics preferred
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 432 may not take this course for credit.

Examines the agricultural marketing system from analytical and strategic perspectives. The economic implications of collective marketing strategies are examined, including generic advertising, co-operatives and supply management marketing boards. Information asymmetry in agri-food supply chains is explored, including the role of commodity grades, labelling, identity preservation, and traceability. The organization of supply chains is examined, including an exploration of the growth of contracting.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 or ECON 211.3 (AREC 342.3 is recommended).
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 440 cannot take this course for credit.

This course reviews numerous agricultural policies using economic models to analyze how these policies impact agricultural markets, economic growth, and rent seeking within agricultural supply chains. The course enables students to develop a working knowledge of current Canadian agricultural policy, while developing the analytical skills needed to critically examine agricultural policy beyond the examples explored in the course.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 or ECON 211.3 (AREC 342.3 is recommended).
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 451 cannot take this course for credit.

This senior undergraduate course is offered with the objective of teaching students the key processes, institutions and relationships that make up effective innovation systems. The course examines innovation systems through the use of political economy models that profile important incentives driving innovation, from discovery-based research through to commercialization and adoption. These concepts will be brought to life through local, regional and international examples of innovation systems.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Completion of 75 credit units of university-level courses or consent of the instructor.

This is a major research, technical writing and communications project that involves investigation of a relevant economic problem. The project includes a literature review utilizing electronic and library resources, a clear articulation of the appropriate economic concepts, an empirical investigation, and interpretation of results. A comprehensive research report is written. Research methodology and technical writing skills are addressed in a series of lectures at the beginning of the term.

Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 and AREC 262.3 and successful completion of 75 credit units of university level courses.
Restriction(s): Restricted to B.S.A. (AGEC) and BSCAGB programs.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 492 may not take this course for credit.

This is a research, technical writing and communications course in which the student conducts independent research on a relevant economic problem. The research project includes a literature review utilizing electronic and library resources, a clear articulation and use of the appropriate concepts, an empirical investigation, and the interpretation and presentation of results. A comprehensive and formal research paper is written. Research methodology and technical writing skills are addressed in a series of lectures at the beginning of the term. An oral exam of the thesis is required.

Prerequisite(s): AREC 272.3 and AREC 262.3 and successful completion of 75 credit units of university level courses.
Restriction(s): Restricted to B.S.A. (AGEC) and BSCAGB Honours programs.
Note:Students with credit for BPBE 494 may not take this course for credit.

Designed to assist students in developing and understanding the skills and tools required in the preparation and presentation of a complete and professional business plan for a business entity in the agricultural industry. All aspects of the business plan are included in the project: operations, human resources, marketing and finance. Students will be expected to form groups to complete a major project.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of 90 credit units of university level courses or permission of the department.
Note: Students with credit for COMM 447, COMM 492, BPBE 75, or ENT 310 or BPBE 495 may not take this course for credit.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

A study of the application of economic theory to production economics and consumer demand systems. The course links static micro economic theory to the behavior of economic systems. This course includes a survey on the choice of functional form, the application of duality and other aspects related to econometric estimation. The course also examines aspects of welfare measurement, technological change and dynamic problems involving risk and uncertainty.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 820 may not take this course for credit.

Lectures/discussions will emphasize the development and illustration of concepts, issues, and research questions in agribusiness, both past and present. The course readings will provide a general framework for class lecture/discussions. Through assignments and in-class discussions, students will broaden their understanding of practical and research issues within the context of agribusiness management.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 825 or the BPBE 898 offering of "Current Issues in Agribusiness Research" will not receive credit for this course.

Theoretical and empirical analysis of non-market valuation methods. Topics include welfare economics, demand estimation, benefit-cost analysis, survey design and administration, preference elicitation techniques, choice modelling, health valuation, and valuation of ecosystem services. Emphasis is placed on linking conceptual frameworks with best practice methods for empirical implementation.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Restriction(s): Only open to students in the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 837 will not receive credit for this course.

Economic analysis of agriculture and food marketing systems. Topics include transactions costs and the role of institutions, spot markets, contracts and vertical integration, market power, price discovery, quality signalling and information asymmetry in agri-food markets. The relevant theoretical literature and empirical applications in these areas are reviewed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 840 may not take this course for credit

Develops a conceptual framework in which organizations, their behaviour, their interactions with other firms and their impact on an industry can be studied, compared and analyzed. The relevant literature in organizational theory, industrial organization and contract theory is reviewed, especially as it focuses on theoretical and empirical work in the areas of agri-business firms and other forms of organizations. Examination of these types of firms is undertaken to better understand their behaviour and to develop concepts that can be put to use in analyzing other types of organizations.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 842 may not take this course for credit.

Economic analysis of the Canadian transportation sector, with particular emphasis on the movement of agricultural commodities. Specific topics include an overview of basic operations research methods including linear programming and efficiency measurement, analysis of industrial organization and regulation in the transportation sector using contestability theory and the new empirical industrial organization (NEIO), an introduction to the economics of networks, and an examination of the link between transportation and economic development.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 845 may not take this course for credit.

Focuses on an economic analysis of agricultural policies in Canada. In addition, general economic policy will be discussed in terms of how it impacts on trade, investments, economic growth and efficiency.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 851 may not take this course for credit.

The economic analysis of agricultural trade policy. Topics include introduction to international trade theory, an introduction to trade policy, methods of protection by importers and methods of protection by exporters.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 855 may not take this course for credit.

Topics from the areas of the philosophical basis of research in agricultural economics, the methods of science as applied to economic problems, current issues and problematic aspects of both the methods and substance of research in agricultural economics and initiating, organizing, funding and utilizing the results from research are examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of instructor required.
Note: Students with credit for BPBE 890 may not take this course for credit.

Reading essays and discussion in an approved special field.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Offered occasionally in special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Reports and discussion on current development and research. All graduate students in Agricultural Economics are required to register. Attendance and at least one presentation required of postgraduate students during the period of their candidacy.

Note: Students with credit for BPBE 990 may not take this course for credit.

Students writing a Master's thesis must register for this course.

Note: Students with credit for BPBE 994 may not take this course for credit.

Students writing a Ph.D. thesis must register for this course.

Note: Students with credit for BPBE 996 may not take this course for credit.