There is an ever-increasing demand for food, with the UK relying on both imports and exports to feed itself and drive economic growth. Behind the supermarket shelves lies a globalised supply chain that is sensitive to economic and environmental events, e.g. too much or too little rain can reduce or devastate harvests. This dynamic complexity, together with more demanding consumers and concerns about food safety and security, local sourcing and carbon footprints make this an exciting and challenging employment sector. To deal with these issues this course develops skills across business, agriculture and food disciplines, producing well-qualified managers who are sought after in the agri-food sector. The courses are built around a balanced programme of marketing, business, agriculture and food production so that you fully understand the concept of field to fork.

The careers of agri-food business graduates span the whole food supply chain, from agricultural merchants and pharmaceuticals companies to food manufacturers, distributors, retailers and traders. A combination of proven business and marketing skills plus technical awareness, ensures that graduates are sought after by organisations in the agri-food sector. The transferable nature of the commercial skills developed enables graduates to work in government, trade and overseas development organisations, banks, specialist market research agencies and consultancies. Many have also found that this qualification equips them to set up and successfully run their own food, farm or rurally-based enterprise.