Course Overview

Welcome to the Self-learning e-Course on Advanced Agribusiness Management. Participants can register directly from this portal on the APO website. Those who are already registered can access the course by using the assigned username and password. If you have forgotten your username and password, please refer to the FAQs on the home page of the portal.

Course Objectives

At the end of the course, participants are expected to:

1. Develop a deeper understanding of Asian agribusiness and its sustainable growth orientation
2. Utilize a mix of frameworks, analytical principles, and models in the identification, analysis and resolution of agribusiness management concerns and
3. Apply the decision-making process in securing the sustainable development and growth of agribusinesses.

Background

Agribusinesses include farms and off-farm enterprises that produce and distribute farm inputs and those that assemble, store, process, and distribute fresh and processed farm commodities and products. An approximately 70% increase in food production in Asia is required to feed 5.2 billion people on the continent by 2050. Food production and supply in the crop, livestock, and aquamarine sectors, however, are constrained by fragmented supply chains, degraded land, and postharvest losses, among others. Moreover, agriculture is also the source of nonfood products such as fiber, fuel, timber, medicine, and industrial raw materials. It is estimated that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for at least 80-90% of all enterprises, and generate about 50-80% of total employment in the developing economies of Asia where a significant number of players in the agro-food sector operate.  Individuals are thus increasingly needed to manage SMEs in the agribusinesses sector competently and sustainably within the context of value chains that serve both domestic and global markets.

As the World Economic Forum steps up its “Grow Asia” initiative, the scale and impact of agribusiness investments provide opportunities for smallholders and SMEs to be linked to global and regional markets. Public–private partnership and multiple-stakeholder approaches to sustainable, inclusive development have been designed to offer market-based solutions to address production and supply constraints as well as poverty, food security, and safety issues. These solutions must be managed by individuals trained in relevant agribusiness management frameworks, and leadership and decision-making skills. By 2020, such partnership arrangements should reach 10 million smallholder farmers; and improving farm productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability by 20%.

This course is being organized to train a critical mass of stakeholders in APO-member countries in advanced knowledge of agribusiness management. With practical application of agribusiness management theories and analytical principles, these individuals are expected to critically assess threats and opportunities, make decisions, and take on leadership roles as they and their organizations face tremendous challenges in a rapidly changing and inter-connected business environment.

Scope and Methodology

Module 1: Value chains in Asian agribusiness

The value chain concept; value chain analytical framework; principles of value chain analysis; case study

Module 2: Environment-friendly concepts in the food value chains

Insights on environment-friendly concepts in food value chains; policy options in the development of environment-friendly food value chains; multi-stakeholder partnerships and sustainability alliances; case study

Quiz 1 (for self-assessment based on questions from Modules 1 and 2)

Module 3: Agrifood innovation

Market-driven innovation; trends in labeling; challenges to innovation amidst food safety and health concerns; case study

Module 4: Strengthening public-private sector partnerships (PPPs) in agribusiness

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) in retrospect; private-sector engagement in PPPs in agribusiness; PPP models as strategic alliances; case study

Quiz 2 (for self-assessment based on questions from Modules 3 and 4)

Module 5: Innovative finance for agribusiness development

Innovative finance as a financing approach for development; trends in innovative financing mechanisms; challenges and opportunities; case study

Module 6: Lean agribusiness operations management

Elimination of waste; lean thinking and transformation; optimizing the flow of products and services through value streams; case study

Quiz 3 (for self-assessment based on questions from Modules 5 and 6)

Module 7: Managing entrepreneurial growth in agribusiness enterprises

Planning for growth; growing as a niche player; emerging trends in market analysis of growth opportunities; case study

Module 8: Engaging small Asian farmers and entrepreneurs for inclusive agribusiness value chain development

Initiatives of engaging small farmers and entrepreneurs; favorable value chain conditions for small farmers and entrepreneurs; benefits from value chain participation; case study

Module 9: Sustainability assessment for agribusiness SMEs

Sustainability issues specific to agribusiness SMEs; sustainability analysis framework; sustainability assessment tools; case study

Module 10: Final Examination

A minimum score of 70% on the final examination is required to qualify for the APO e-certificate.