Learn the foundations of agribusiness with these short courses

Concerns over climate change and its adverse effects on food security and environmental degradation are rising. We’re witnessing how extreme weather changes are negatively affecting crop production, while reports note that raising animals and aquaculture can become more challenging as weather changes increase animals’ vulnerability to diseases. Agribusiness can be a pathway worth choosing if you’re inspired to secure a better future for this generation and the ones to come.

Professionals in the field are expected to stay in-demand for decades to come. 

The United Nations projects that the world population could reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Food demand is expected to increase by 59% to 98% by 2050, which means those in the agriculture sector have a pivotal role to play in the production of food. 

With climate change serving as the defining issue of our time, there is an increasing need for agriculturists and other roles within the field to engage in sustainable food production to address issues such as food security.

The term agribusiness refers to economic activities derived from or connected to farm products. This could include crop production, crop processing, transportation and distribution. It’s a sector that has a heavy impact on almost all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Basic education in agribusiness was designed to prepare professionals for employment across a variety of fields. These include business, finance, marketing, international agriculture, policy formation, farm and ranch management, resource economics, rural development, banking, and even real estate appraisal. 

If you’re interested to learn a little bit more about agribusiness, here are some short courses that can help:

Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance 

Delivered by the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, this online course covers a wide range of agriculture finance topics.

Participants will gain a broad perspective on the concept of agricultural finance and acquire the necessary skills to design feasible operations, products and delivery channels.

One focus of the course will be on lending to farmers and agribusinesses, in particular, how to manage risks and costs along the entire loan cycle.

Executive Mini MBA in Sustainable Food Supply Chains

This unique certificated one-year Mini MBA was designed for professionals with an interest in developing sustainable supply chains.

Jointly offered by Agribusiness Academy and Business School Netherlands, participants enrolled in this course are given access to a comprehensive online curriculum, over 50 live sessions and one-to-one coaching sessions.

Mini-MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management

Offered by the Institute of Food and Agribusiness Leadership, this online Mini MBA was designed by industry experts to provide learners with the knowledge they will need to run a sustainable business.

In just 12 months, participants will discover how to build profitable, sustainable business models that will thrive in the digital age; build a complete understanding of the sector with up-to-the-minute insights; join a supportive global community with a common desire to improve; and lead their organisations into the future.

Food Security and Sustainability

This short course by WageningenX focuses on systems thinking and its applications to improve the environmental sustainability of food production systems.

The main topics covered are: complexity and diversity of food production systems; principles of system analysis; evaluation methods for the environmental impact of food production systems; strong and weak points of different food production systems.