Risks to Crop Production in Agriculture

The course orientation module provides an overview of the program, introduces the instructors, and familiarizes learners with the syllabus and flexible learning pathways. It also includes an orientation quiz and encourages interaction among classmates.

Module 1 delves into the crop production cycle, covering topics such as common production practices, permanent crops, harvesting, nutrient management, pest management, and the USDA crop calendar charts. This module also explores sustainable agriculture and U.S. agricultural policy review.

Module 2 focuses on the financial characteristics and risks in agriculture, discussing farm structures, capital intensity, cash flows, input vs. output prices volatility, and the transfer of agricultural land. It also provides insights into the farm sector income and finances.

Land tenure is the central theme of Module 3, exploring ownership of agricultural land, forms of ownership, rental agreements, land sustainability concerns, and U.S. farmland ownership, tenure, and transfer. This module provides a comprehensive understanding of agricultural land tenure.

Module 4 covers other factors influencing risk and decision-making in agriculture, including off-farm employment, agricultural policy, global trade flows, energy use, geopolitical issues, legal aspects, and livestock production risks. It also explores the impacts of economic crises and regional wars on global food security.

The course conclusion module wraps up the program, providing information about the graduate certificate course in risk and decision-making in agriculture, guiding learners on stacking their Coursera certificate toward graduate coursework, and completing the final assessment.