A warm welcome to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the course Value Chains and Networks in the Bio-Economy!

Below, you will find general information about the student account, registration for the course and other practical information.

The student account

You will need your student account to access e.g. your e-mail, Ladok and Canvas. For information regarding how to create your student account, follow this link: https://student.slu.se/en/study-support/it-support/support/new-student---start/

Registration for the course

Self-registration for the course is done in Ladok between 2026-03-10 – 2026-03-24. Remember that you must be admitted and registered in Ladok to be able take the course. Having access to Canvas does not mean you are registered in the course and without registration, you are risking losing your place in the course. If you have been admitted to the course with conditions, you need to send your credit list to the course leader who will review it and decide if you can register. Do this as soon as possible as reviewing credits may take a few days due to the course start.

Schedule

The complete course schedule can be found in TimeEdit 4 weeks prior to the course start. You can reach the course schedule by searching the course code in the TimeEdit public schedule search.

TimeEdit - View schedules and make group study room reservations | Studentwebben

Educational support

If you are entitled extra educational support, please inform the course leader at the start of the course so that special arrangements can be made.

For educational support for an exam, see instructions in the exam registration in Ladok Student. You need to register for alternative exam arrangements no later than 15 workings days prior to the examination day. More information here: https://student.slu.se/en/study-support/study-support/funka/.

Discontinuation of a course

If you want to discontinue the course, you should immediately notify the educational administrators at econ-edu@slu.se, who in turn will inform the course leader and register a non-completion of the course in Ladok after your approval. You are also able to register an early non-completion of the course (within three weeks after course start) in Ladok yourself.

Exams

You need to register for exams in Ladok. The registration closes 10 workings days prior to the exam. You can find your anonymity code in Ladok Student. It's not possible to register for the exam after the deadline has passed.

On Wednesdays between 12:30-14:30 we have an exam hand out at the department (Ulls hus, 4th floor). Please remember to bring your ID-card.

- Do not hesitate to contact us at econ-edu@slu.se if you have any questions!

Kind regards,

The educational administrators

Literature list, FÖ0454 Value Chains & Networks in the Bioeconomy

Spring semester 2025

Please note that there is no textbook for this course, but the articles and book chapters listed below will be found in Canvas.

Readings related to Karin’s lectures:

• Lewandowski, I. 2017.* Bioeconomy: Shaping the transition to a sustainable, biobased economy* (Ed.). Springer. Chapters 3, 5 and 8
• Priefer, C., Jörissen, J. and Frör, O., 2017. Pathways to shape the bioeconomy. Resources, 6(1), 10.
• Bennich, T. and Belyazid, S., 2017. The route to sustainability—prospects and challenges of the bio-based economy. Sustainability, 9(6), 887.
• Teräs, J., Johnsen, I.H., Lindberg, G., Perjo, L. and Giacometti, A., 2014. Bioeconomy in the Nordic region: Regional case studies. Nordic Centre for Spatial Development: Stockholm, Sweden
• Abu Hatab, A., Owusu-Sekyere, E., Esmat, A.R. and Lagerkvist, C.J. (2023). In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic: Perceived risks, management strategies and emerging opportunities for small and medium agri-food enterprises in a developing country. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 97, 104045.
• Pakseresht, A; Yavari, A; Ahmadi Kaliji, S & Hakelius, K. 2023. The Intersection of Blockchain Technology and Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 35, 260-274
• Bijman, J., Iliopoulos, C., Poppe, K.J., Gijselinckx, C., Hagedorn, K., Hanisch, M., Hendrikse, G.W., Kühl, R., Ollila, P., Pyykkönen, P. & van der Sangen, G. (2012). Support for farmers' cooperatives. Wageningen UR.
• Valentinov, V. (2007). Why are cooperatives important in agriculture? An organizational economics perspective. Journal of Institutional Economics. 3(1), 55-69.
• International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). 2024. World Cooperative Monitor. Exploring the Cooperative Economy. ICA.

Readings related to Jens’ lectures:

• Akerlof, G. A. (1970). The market for “lemons”: Quality uncertainty and the market mechanism. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 84(3), 488-500.
• Anderson, J., Vadnjal, D. & Uhlin, H. E. (2000). Moral dimensions of the WTA–WTP disparity: An experimental examination. Ecological Economics, 32(1), 153-162.
• Banterle, A. and Stranieri, S., 2008. The consequences of voluntary traceability system for supply chain relationships. An application of transaction cost economics. Food Policy, 33(6), 560- 569.
• Bogetoft, P. and Olesen, H.B., 2002. Ten rules of thumb in contract design: lessons from Danish agriculture.* European Review of Agricultural Economics*, 29(2), 185-204.
• Borgatti, S.P. and Li, X., 2009. On social network analysis in a supply chain context. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 45(2), 5-22.
• Brousseau, E., and Glachant, J.M. 2004. The Economics of Contracts: Theory and Applications. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1
• Crespo, J., Réquier-Desjardins, D. and Vicente, J., 2014. Why can collective action fail in local agri-food systems? A social network analysis of cheese producers in Aculco, Mexico. Food Policy, 46, pp.165-177.
• Furubotn, E.G., and Richter, R. 2005. Institutions and Economic Theory: The Contribution of New Institutional Economics. University of Michigan Press (Second Edition). Chapters 2 and 5
• Hanisch, M., Rommel, J. & Müller, M. (2013). The cooperative yardstick revisited: panel evidence from the European dairy sectors. Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, 11(1), 151-162.
• Höhler, J. & Schreiner, J. A. (2020). Unfair milk prices? Lessons from a split-sample choice experiment. British Food Journal, 112(2), 515-530.
• Rommel, J., Sagebiel, J. & Müller, J.R. (2016). Quality uncertainty and the market for renewable energy: Evidence from German consumers. Renewable Energy, 94,106-113.
• Spence, M. (1973). Job Market Signaling. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355-374.
• Stuckey, J. and White, D., 1993. When and when not to vertically integrate. MIT Sloan Management Review, 34(3), 71.