Food and Resource Economics (BSc)
FOOD AND
If you are interested in using economics and business management to address the challenge of feeding 7.5 billion people with a limited set of natural resources then the Food and Resource Economics (FRE) program will take your interest to a whole new level. You may choose to specialize in applied economics by taking courses that focus on natural resource economics, economic development and international trade, or you may choose to obtain a broader skill set by combining courses in economics, business management and science (e.g., “Nutrition Concepts and Controversies”). The option to work closely with a professor by doing a directed studies and/or a six-credit thesis will help prepare you for subsequent graduate studies.
Specializations Offered
The Food and Resource Economics program is a major in itself. However, there are three topic areas that you can choose to either specialize or mix and match. After you explore these topics you’ll find more information about the Bachelor of Science in Food and Resource Economics program, including a brief summary of what’s involved, some courses you might take, and career possibilities.
Meet the Instructors
Dr. Johnathan Proctor
Assistant Professor
Dr. Matias E. Margulis
Associate Professor, Food and Resource Economics (jointly appointed with the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs)
My research examines the global governance and politics of agriculture and food security. I am particularly interested in the interaction among states and non-state actors, including business, civil society and international organizations, in shaping and contesting the rules governing how food is produced, distributed and consumed across borders. Specific areas where I have expertise include global food security, agricultural trade, the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, global land governance, certification of agricultural commodities, and the human right to food.
Dr. James Vercammen
Professor, Food and Resource Economics (jointly appointed with the Sauder School of Business)
My primary area of research is the economics of agri-environmental contracts. This includes the efficient design of agri-environmental payment schemes, incentives for conservation with asymmetric information and conservation easements for the preservation of farmland. Other research areas include commodity futures markets and agricultural credit markets. An emerging research area is the measurement of productivity growth in Canadian agriculture.
Dr. Carol McAusland
Professor, Food & Resource Economics
My current research investigates how the environmental impacts of international trade vary depending on the underlying motive for trade, be it consumers’ quest for novel product varieties or firms’ need for cheap inputs. I am also examining the implications of skilled labor migration for the global provision of public goods.
Dr. Frederik Noack
Assistant Professor, Food and Resource Economics Group
I am interested in the impacts of improved market access and property rights on land use and natural resources such as fish stocks, forests and biodiversity. I use mathematical models to guide my empirical analysis and to derive testable predictions. I often collaborate with environmental scientists to better understand and quantify the environmental changes and drivers.
Dr. Sumeet Gulati
Professor
Alongwith my co-authors I ask: at their modest values, do carbon taxes reduce gasoline consumption? Do they encourage people to buy fuel efficient vehicles? Do older consumers, especially women, perform better or worse while negotiating a price for a new car? What are the economics of car sharing—like Car2Go, and Evo? And what explains the autonomous emergence of electric rickshaws in India?
Dr. Richard Barichello
Professor, Food and Resource Economics
Regulated agricultural markets and farm quotas, world food markets, trade policy, poverty alleviation, food security, rural-urban linkages (note - only considers students with a strong background in economics or agricultural economics)
Meet Our Community
Marley Blok is an alumna of the Applied Biology program and currently volunteers with Veterinarians Without Borders in their Volunteers Engaged in Gender-Responsive Technical Solutions Program, or VETS for short. Working with local Ghanaian organizations, Blok's goal is to create sustainable socioeconomic change in rural communities through improving health in animal production systems.
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Meet Jennifer Appiah, our student spotlight! Jennifer is a 2022 recipient of the Freybe Award in Nutrition and Dietetics and is currently completing her first year as part of UBC’s Master of Nutrition and Dietetics’ first ever cohort.
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Daniel Bateson
BSc
Applied Plant and Soil Science
Meet Daniel Bateson, an APBI alumni who works in horticulture.
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