This course equips students with the principles used for economic analysis of food and nutrition policies around the world. We use the graphical methods taught in standard, one-semester courses on the principles of economics, but our motivation, examples and applications are focused on food and nutrition problems in the United States and elsewhere. On completion, students will be able to obtain the data and apply the analytical methods needed to: (1) explain and predict consumption, production and trade in agriculture and food markets; (2) evaluate the social welfare consequences of market failure, collective action and government policies including regulation, taxation and enforcement of property rights in agriculture and food markets; (3) measure poverty and inequality in income, wealth, nutrition and health, as influenced by changes in markets and policies; and (4) describe macroeconomic relationships, fluctuations and trends in incomes, employment, economic growth and development.
Completion of the Online Economics Primer in advance of the start of the course is optional for students: https://nutrition.tufts.edu/sites/default/files/documents-forms/NUTB238EconomicsPrimerInfo.pdf.