The UBA´s -University of Buenos Aires- Food and Agribusiness Program (PAA, according to its Spanish initials) was founded in 1998 with the objective of generating knowledge and capacities on the subject.

Research, consulting, teaching and extension coexist within the PAA’s structure, responding to the necessity of developing human resources for strategic management and generation of policies. The PAA is focused on the University’s commitment to agri-food business, the generation of leadership and the consolidation of the competitiveness of Argentinean food products.

The Program is formed by three components dedicated to knowledge generation and development of the agri-food sector:

• Teaching
Its objectives are to generate strategic abilities to human resources, through training and to revolutionize the way entrepreneurs and technicians in the sector think.
Since its beginnings in 1999, the Food and Agribusiness Program has had over 1,800 students participating in the different chourses provided.

• Applied Research
It is focused on identifying, analyzing, assessing and formulating institutional, organizational, technological and commercial alternatives for the food and agribusiness sector. Its main objective is to generate knowledge and outspread information oriented to companies, NGOs and the public sector.

• Consulting
It is focused on generating competitive strategic alternatives for the institutional, organizational, technological and commercial environments of the food and agribusiness sector. In addition to the generation of surveys and other types of reports, the consulting area also offers In House (tailor-made) chourses to companies, NGOs and the public sector.

• 2 Modules of Agribusiness chourses (see chart), as stipulated by FAUBA each semester + Spanish Language Chourse + Practical Activities

Total Credits: 16

The SumPA Program in Agribusiness consists of 90 hhours of credit chourses, Spanish Language and activities divided as follows:

• 1 Module of Agribusiness chourses (see chart), as stipulated by FAUBA each summer + Spanish Language Chourse + Practical Activities

Total Credits: 6

Argentina, MERCOSUR and the World (3 hours)

Contents: Macroeconomic environment. Relative positioning of Argentina in the world. Indicators.

Introduction to Agriculture in the Pampa Region (6 hours)

Contents: Environmental, productive, social, economic, cultural and historical aspects of agriculture in the Pampa plains.

Introduction to Agribusiness (3 hours)

Contents: Agribusiness relevance in Argentina. Relevance of the sector. Competitiveness. Sector structure and enclosures. Description of the most important activities.

TCE (6 hours)

Contents: Introduction to the New Institutional Economy and to the Transaction Costs Economy and their relationship with agrifood business. Governance structure.

Networks, Supply Chains, Clusters (6 hours)

Contents: Description of Supply Chains, Networks and Clusters structures. Their relationships, data flow and management.

Cases (3 hours per case)

Contents: Discussion of cases relevant to Argentine and world agribusiness from the point of view of a new institutional economy.

Plant Genetics (3 hours)

Contents: Learning about the sources of genetic variability. Crossbreeding and progenies. Applicability of the information to several fields.

Animal Genetics (3 hours)

Contents: Learning about the sources of genetic variability. Crossbreeding and progenies. Applicabilityof the information to several fields.

Plant Biotechnology (3 hours)

Contents: Advances and improvements applied to production and trade.

Animal Biotechnology (3 hours)

Contents: Advances and improvements applied to production and trade

Natural Resources (3 hours)

Contents: Environment. Agriculture-environment interaction. Anthropic effects.

Topography, Watering and Drainage (3 hours)

Contents: Topography. Scales and uses. Soil cartography. Altimetry. Geomorphology notions. Watering Systems. Pluviometry.

Agricultural Machinery (3 hours)

Contents: machinery in the agriculture of the Pampa Region. Implements.

Precision Agriculture (3 hours)

Contents: Digital elevation models: use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).Details and use in the ordering of basins. Satellite Geopositioning (GPS).

No Till (3 hours)

Contents: development and impact in Argentina. Productive-technological and commercial consequences.

Agricultural Commodities (6 hours)

Contents: commodities business in Argentina and in the world. Markets, risk mitigation instruments.

Agricultural Specialties (6 hours)

Contents: Specialties business in Argentina and in the world. Successful cases. Guarantee of origin.

Industrial crops (6 hours)

Contents: Main industrial crops destined to the industrial process. Consolidated cases, chances ahead.

Biofuels (6 hours)

Contents: biofuels and their development in Argentina and in the world. Global energy environment. Different production scales and business designs. Different production sources and industrial processes. Looking ahead.

Certified Agriculture (3 hours)

Contents: certification of agricultural sustainability. Applicability, benefits, differential markets.

Beef (6 hours)

Contents: beef production in Argentina. Productive and commercial aspects. Production systems, usual breeds and other specific characteristics of the production in the Pampa Region.

Dairy Production (6 hours)

Contents: production and trade environment of milk in Argentina and in the world. Cow, sheep, goat and buffalo milk, production and diverse markets.

Poultry Sector (6 hours)

Contents: production and trade environment of the different poultry products in Argentina and in the world.

Small Rumiants (3 hours)

Contents: Small rumiants´ production in Argentina. Production and trade characteristics.

Alternative Productions (3 hours)

Contents: Alternative animal productions in Argentina. Production and trade characteristics.

Apiculture (3 hours)

Contents: Introduction to the beekeeping business in Argentina. Argentine positioning in the world. Production and trade characteristics.

Introduction to Horticulture (3 hours)

Contents: Introduction to horticulture in Argentina. Products and markets.

Introduction to Fruticulture (3 hours)

Contents: Introduction to fruticulture in Argentina. Products and markets.

Introduction to Floriculture (3 hours)

Contents: Introduction to floriculture in Argentina. Products and markets.

Winery Sector (6 hours)

Contents: the Winery Sector in Argentina and in the world. Development. Sector environment and structure. Associations. Agents and relationships. Trade aspects.

“Mate” Herb/Tea (3 hours)

Contents: Production of Mate herb and tea in Argentina. Development. Sector environment and structure. Associations. Agents and relationships. Trade aspects.

Blueberries and Berries (3 hours)

Contents: Berries in Argentina and in the world. Production and trade aspects. Development. Sector´s environment and structure. Associations. Agents and relationships.

Lemon (3 hours)

Contents: Lemon in Argentina and in the world. Development. Sector´s environment and structure. Associations. Agents and relationships.

Sugar (3hours)

Contents: Sugar production and trade in Argentina. Position in the world market. Development. Sector´s environment and structure. Associations. Agents and relationships.

Health and Agribusiness (3 hours)

Contents: Nutrition and health trends; innovations in the agrifood sector and industry.

Organic Production (6 hours)

Contents: Productive chains of organic management. Preservation of natural resources within a comprehensive and sustainable approach.

Quality and Certification(3 hours)

Contents: Introduction to quality certification. Certification, its use for adding value.

Transportation and Logistics (6 hours)

Contents: Local and international transportation and logistics. Nature of the international physical distribution. Alternative ways, choice , implementation, use and strategic management.

International Trade (3 hours)

Contents: Argentine Customs´ ruling framework. International transactions. International trade restrictions.

Tariffs and taxes (3 hours)

Contents: Description and impact of different taxes involving agribusiness.

Living Case (3 hours per case)

Contents: Interaction with agribusiness entrepreneurs in Argentina. Presentation of relevant cases representative of the different sectors previously considered. Professional approach supporting theoretical aspects.

• 2 Field Trips (8 hs/day)

Students will visit areas of farming and livestock production, as well as major commercialization centers. In one of such trips they will see the activities in a dairy farm and study the production of milk and cheese. Later, they will visit the Buenos Aires Central Market to study the commercial process of fruits and vegetables from all around the country. Finally, at the Liniers Market, they will have the chance to watch the daily cattle auction.

Students will then visit a center were cereals, oleaginous crops, poultry, frozen vegetables, and different types of oil are produced. This company is part of the majority of the agro-industrial chain of each of these products. Next stop will be a pig farm, ending the day at a fruit farm.