MODULO

ARGOMENTI

Botanica e Fisiologia del caffè - Coffee Botany and Physiology 

Systematic of Coffea genus

Morphological and anatomical characteristics of the coffee plant

Phenological stages of the coffee plant: germination, development, flowering, fruit development and maturation

General and environmental physiological aspects of the coffee plant

Classical propagation techniques and micro-propagation techniques of the coffee plant

Secondary metabolites in coffee fruits: synthesis, accumulation and effects on human health

Biotic and abiotic degradation (pre- and post-coffee harvest)

Genetica della pianta del caffè – Coffee Genetics

Genes and environment

The Coffea Canephora genome

The genome of Arabica

Differentiation Arabica-Robusta

Self-fertility and self-sterility

Varieties of Arabica and genetic diversity

Molecular methods for the traceability

Genetic base and bean quality

Breeding new varieties.

Coltivazione della Pianta di Caffè e Climate Change - Coffee Cultivation and Climate Change

Physical-chemical properties of tropical soils. Tropical soil degradation

Effects of soil management on biological fertility and recycling of crop residues and organic wastes

Principles of the coffee plant mineral nutrition and plant responses to nutrient deficiency or toxicity

Fertilizer use and management. Action mechanisms, metabolic breakdown in plants and fate in the soil of the main pesticides

Weed control. Coffee plant protection: principles of integrated control

Insect and pest control. Fungi, bacteria and virus control

Physical, biological and geochemical processes responsible for and resulting from climate change

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation. Land Use and the Carbon Cycle

Agricultural Water Management. Innovation in coffee farming

Crop evaluation. Manual harvest. Mechanical harvest. Picking from the ground. Postharvest selection. Crop quality

Raw bean processing: dry, wet and semi-wet processing

Process influences on coffee quality. Cleaning and sorting processing

Storage, packaging, logistics and transportation of raw coffee

Raw bean defects and their origins

The latest on coffee wet and dry mill designs

Graded coffee trading (explain the difference grading systems in the coffee trade)

Mapping coffee production according to cup profile

I Processi Industriali del Caffè  - Coffee Industrial Process 

Preliminary operations: cleaning, hulling, grading and electronic sorting.

Basic principles of heat and mass transport. Decaffeination process: methods and industrial machinery.

Roasting process. Roasting methods, industrial roasting equipment.

Grinding process. Chemical, physical and structural changes of grain. Packaging, chemical-physical changes during packaging, roasted product shelf-life.

Other products: pods, capsule and ‘ready-to-drink’; Food safety and relevant hazards; HACCP methodology; EU legislation architecture. Blending techniques (pre & after roasting).

Extraction methods: infusion and percolation. Chemical and physical characteristics of brewed coffee. Preparation methods and characterization: filter, moka, espresso. Brewing machines and main control parameters. Espresso definition. Other preparations.

Physiology of perception, chemical senses: taste and olfaction. Cognitive processes. Introduction to sensory analysis. Sensory analysis typology and goals: filter coffee, espresso and moka cupping.

Main chemical-physical methodologies of analysis to characterize coffee. Evaluations of different origins. Evaluation of raw coffee defects and off-flavors.

Chemical characterization techniques: volatile, non-volatile compounds.

Mercati del caffè verde e sviluppo sostenibile - Green Coffee Markets and Sustainable Development

World patterns in production and consumption.

Fields of economics; Basic issues about Development; Comparing benefit and cost; The demand curve; The Supply curve; Sustainable Development; Coffee price differences and basic price analysis; Market analysis; Cost elasticity and transfer mechanism in coffee markets; The agroindustrial systems and Global coffee market; International commodity markets.

Coffee marketing boards and commodity market reforms. Sustainable coffee production; How to increase production, yields and export availability of sustainably grown coffee.

How to implement standards to improve access to finance for farmers and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Sustainability in the agriculture and food sectors; Sustainability in the coffee value chain; Standards & certification in the coffee sector; Certified markets and impacts on farmers.

Blockchain.

Gestione della Complessità e delle reti di fornitura e distribuzione - Complexity and Coffee Supply Chain Management

The sourcing process, supplier evaluation and selection, buyer-supplier partnership, the organization of purchasing activities, centralization and decentralization of purchasing responsibilities.

Supply network design and material management. Setting Quality Standards. ISO certification. Six Sigma.The balanced scorecard. The Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Benchmarking.

The Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Corporate responsability and responsible procurement. Complex systems: main features. Complexity principles. Complexity principles applied to economics.

Fundamentals of business dynamics. Innovation and types; Disruptive innovation; Open innovation model; User innovation; Diffusion of innovation; Knowledge creation platforms; Multisided platforms. How to study feasibility; manage an innovation project.

Marketing: modelli di consumo e canali di distribuzione - Market consumption models and distribution channels 

Geographical markets and purchasing/consumption habits. Consumption typologies of roasted coffee.

The purchasing process and consumption experience. The factors influencing the purchasing/consumption process.

Marketing management and marketing planning. Experiential marketing.

Product decisions: global products and services; standardization versus adaptation; product features and perception; branding decisions in international markets.

Pricing decisions.Direct and indirect distribution channels.

Types of channel intermediaries; Retail and Ho.Re.Ca. channels (Hotel, Restaurant, Coffee bar and Catering channels); franchising; branded coffee shops and e-commerce. Pricing and final decisions; Culture and retail in a Global enviroment; Managing price; Relationship and brand management; Managing expenses; Break even analysis.

Selling techniques for the various distribution channels.

Worldwide market consumption patterns in coffee presentations and cup profiles (what type of coffee preparations do certain markets prefer in order to better cater that specific market).

Digital marketing. Specialty coffees markets.

 Strategie competitive nel settore del caffè - Competitive strategies in the coffee industry 

Strategy; Strategy as Business Model; The Strategy Diamond; Measuring Success. Strategy as Value Management; Strategy as alignment to the environment; Linking Strategy to Performance and Competition; Five forces model and its applications; Business and Corporate Strategies, strategies for Growth; Diversification and portfolio matrixes; M&As and Alliances; Strategic Outsourcing and Vertical Integration; Strategy evaluation criteria; A Dynamic View of Strategy: from Decline to Innovation; Strategic Decision Making.

Export Management: Distributor selection and management; The internationalization concept; The competitive environment; The Export Customer Service; The annual Business plan; The Distribution agreement; Pricing (Price List/ Business Conditions); Brand Management and Trade Marketing.

Women in the changing world of workforce.

Real export cases/examples on both small and big companies.

 Tecniche di trading e risk management - Trading techniques and risk management 

Risks in the coffee business and their management; The volatility of coffee prices, speculation and fundamentals in commodity markets.

Hedging (cases); Deciding to Hedge Commodity Price Risk; Coffee futures margin and leverage; Option Basics (Financial Option, Call option, Put option, Option writer); Risk transfer; Evaluating coffee price risk exposure.

Price risk management in practice: standard futures and options in the coffee market, over-the-counter market and mixed products.

Risk management process and value creation; Classes of assets and of liabilities; Income Statement and Balance Sheet; Cash cycle; Business and financial risk; Physical Trading; Trading techniques & Decommoditization; Futures Trading.