Economics of Agriculture and the Environment

This course is highly recommended for AFE students and any Friedman student with an interest in economic aspects of the food/environment interface.  In this class we will be studying a broad range of environmental and natural resource problems through the tools and concepts of microeconomics - the social science that deals with balancing our (seemingly unlimited) wants and needs within the limitations of our personal, social, and natural environments.  It therefore provides useful frameworks for considering issues such as how we protect and use our land, forests, and oceans; the impact of climate change on food production; societal investment in land, water, and soil quality; and how private and social incentives can help overcome market failures.  Economic aspects of environmental and agricultural policies will be a major focus.