Agri-environmental law and policy (146031)
Course coordinator
Course description
• to determine the importance of natural resources in local/regional/national/international agriculture and economy
• thinking critically about natural resource, and particularly agri-environmental law and policy
• identifying the role of law and policy in achieving the intended goal of agricultural and rural development
• understanding how laws and the implementation of laws are influenced by politics and funding
Type of course
- Graduate studies / Environment, agriculture and resource management (Compulsory course, 1 semester, 1 year)
ECTS: 3.00
E-learning: L1
Teaching hours: 30
Lectures: 14
Seminar: 16
Lecturer
Associate teacher for exercises
Associate teacher for seminars
Grading
Sufficient (2): 60%
Good (3): 70%
Very good (4): 80%
Excellent (5): 90%
Conditions for obtaining signature
Prepared and presented seminar essay
Description
In agreement with the teacher, the students choose the topics of the seminar work. They prepare the written material and present it verbally, mostly with the accompanying ppt presentation.
General competencies
Basic knowledge and understanding of agri-environmental law and policy allow students to solve administrative and organizational problems in contemporary agribusiness and policy decision making. Students are competent for analytical work, critical thinking, independent and also team work.
Types of instruction
- Lectures
based on power point presentations, upgraded with other written materijal and students seminar essays; discussion and workshops - Seminars
creative students' work, in-depth analysis of particular problems, discussion with the group, under the teacher's supervision
Learning outcomes
| Learning outcome | Evaluation methods |
|---|---|
| Describe basic natural resources and the role in national economy and agricultural development | discussions, research, seminar essay, oral exam |
| Recognize and specify the elements of economic valorization of natural resources and the role of government | discussions, seminar essay, oral exam |
| Understand and explain how agri-environmental policy and law is created and enforced | discussions, seminar essay, oral exam |
| Develop the ability to critically analyze case law, identifying historical environment within it was created, reasons why it was created and consequences it produces | practical research task |
| Identify and suggest policy alternatives and institutional reforms for more effective agri-environmental governance at local, national and international level | research project, report |
| Utilize critical and creative thinking and presentation skills in describing environmental problem regarding agriculture, taking into account historic background, legal precedent, present agri-environmental climate and public implications | seminar essay, oral exam |
Working methods
Teachers' obligations
Preparing teaching material, presentations, moderating discussions, preparing and conducting oral exam
Students' obligations
Regularly attending the class, active participation in discussions, preparing seminar work and research tasks
Methods of grading
| Evaluation elements | Maximum points or Share in evaluation | Grade rating scale | Grade | Direct teaching hours | Total number of average student workload | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class attendance and active participation | 14 | 30 | 1 | |||
| Seminar essay | 50% | 16 | 40 | 1 | ||
| Knowledge gain: oral exam | 50% | 20 | 1 | |||
| Total | 100% | 50% seminar essay 50% oral exam | average grade | 30 | 90 | 3 |
| Evaluation elements | Description | Deadline | Recoupment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class attendance and active participation | Students are obligatory to attend the class and to active participate in discussions and fulfillment the tasks | During the semester | Individual research task |
| Seminar essay | By preparing and presenting seminar work, students have to confirm their analytical skills, team-working and presentation skills. | During the semester | Individual research task |
| Knowledge gain: oral exam | Students have to prove their knowledge, the level of comprehension and deep insight into the subject. | Final exam | - |
Weekly class schedule
- Overview of the course L - Introduction to natural resource issues within regional/national economy, terminology, processes and the role of government and interest groups, research methods and source materials.
- Natural resources: natural, economic and public values L - Natural characteristics and economic value of resources; use in agricultural and other activities in rural areas; definition of public values and critical judgement in natural and social context
- Resource use and conservation philosophy, attitudes underlying laws and policies (historical atitudes), L - Explaining historical background of different approaches to natural resource utilisation; extreme cases in resources use (abandoning, over-utilisation), ownership issues . Evolution of EU agri-environmental laws and policies.
- Land law and policy L - Land as a primary resource in rural economy. Land policy in different political and economic systems. A case presentation from chosen EU country.
- Agricultural land and agricultural activities, competing with non-agricultural land use L - Contemporary land legislation regarding utilisation, protection and management in relation to non-agricultural (competing and complementary) activities. (Theory and case study research.)
- Water law and policy L - New role of water in rural economy. Water policy in time. Water as agricultural production factor - a case study from chosen EU country. Water as a production factor in agriculture L - Contemporary water legislation regarding utilisation, protection and management. (Theory and case study research.)
- Natural resource conservation and agricultural policy S - Students' research in different cases of conservation policies.
- Wildlife: hunting, fishing, trapping and other consumptive uses of wildlife - interference with human activities S - Students' research and case studies
- Wildlife: major conservation laws and policies S - Students' research and case studies
- Forests: multiple use, role in rural development, forestry law and policy S - Students' research and case studies
- Natural resources in less-favoured areas, laws and policies S, I, Pe-L - Students' research and case studies
- Public lands and protected areas S, I, Pe-L - Students' research and case studies
- Science and natural resource policy S, I, Pe-L - Students' research and case studies
- Private, public, national and international (global) issues in natural resource policy S, I, Pe-L - Students' research and case studies
- -
Obligatory literature
- James Rasband, James Salzman, Mark Squillace: Natural Resources Law and Policy, sec. ed., Foundation Press, 2009
- Frank Ward: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006
Recommended literature
- Frank Wijen, Kees Zoeteman, Jan Pieters (Eds.): A Handbook of Globalisation and Environmental Policy: National Government Interventions in a Global Arena, Edward Elgar, 2005
- Ramon E. Lopez, Michael A. Toman (Eds.): Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability: New Policy Options, Oxford University Press, 2006