After six months of rigorous study at Audencia in Nantes, students from the MSc Food and Agribusiness Management (FAM) program have embarked on an exciting two-month educational journey in Brazil, starting March 25. This initiative, part of a collaboration with FECAP, one of Brazil’s renowned academic institutions, offers students an immersive learning experience in one of the world’s most vibrant agri-food markets.

The program includes five intensive 24-hour courses, meticulously designed and delivered by FECAP. However, the learning extends beyond the classroom through various field trips to major agri-food companies and research centers. Students have already visited MWM, Embrapa, Smart Market Abras, and Cargill Food Solutions, with additional trips planned to Coopercitrus, Agrishow, Corteva, Holambra, and Santos Harbour.

"Brazil shows enormous potential in agri-food production and marketing," the program coordinator noted, highlighting the importance of such hands-on learning experiences. "This exposure is crucial for our students as it allows them to meet industry experts, discover ongoing projects, and critically form their own perspectives on Brazilian agribusiness."

The students themselves have expressed excitement and satisfaction with their experiences. Etieno Essien described the learning experience as "wonderful," and Nobuaki Ota noted the significant amount of new knowledge gained. Frank Hagan-Brown, another student from the 2023-24 class, shared his personal reflections, "I am really enjoying Brazil! The pace of life here is different from France, but I like it. I love how cosmopolitan Sao Paulo is; the lecturers and professors are super interesting; and the Brazilian economy is very underrated in my opinion."

This international module is not only about gaining knowledge but also about fostering international ties. "There is a lot going on here and hopefully we can continue to build stronger links between Brazil, France, and our respective parts of the world," added Hagan-Brown.

As the program progresses, students are expected to delve deeper into the complexities of the agri-food sector and make more informed decisions that could shape their careers in agribusiness. With such enriching experiences, Audencia continues its commitment to global education and hands-on learning.

On Monday, February 12th, we had the privilege of welcoming the Brazilian academic partner of the MSc in Food and Agribusiness Management. For the next 15 days, Professor José Luiz Tejon will be teaching the MSc FAM students at the Audencia campus in Nantes. 

Bem-vindo a Audencia Business School Prof. Tejon!

The coming weeks will be full of excursions, class visits and so much valuable knowledge to be acquired under the guidance of Pr. Tejon. As part of the course, the MSc FAM students will visit Olmix, where they will learn how the company transforms algae resources into probiotics for animal feed.

The class is also hosting a visit from Mr. Tilmann Stumpp, Team Lead Crop Analysts EMEA at Cargill, who explained the challenges of the EU agribusiness in the classroom, sharing his expertise and knowledge with the students. 

Concluding Pr. Tejon's visit and classroom training, the group will visit the Salon International de l'Agriculture. A good way to better understand the EU agri-food market and compare it with the Brazilian one.

José Luiz Tejon Megido is a Brazilian publicist, journalist, international lecturer and is considered one of Brazil's leading authorities on agribusiness marketing, sales management, leadership, motivation and human performance. Tejon is a member of the Brazilian Marketing Academy (Abramark) and the Scientific Council for Sustainable Agriculture (CCAS). He holds a Doctorate and Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of São Paulo. He is the author and co-author of more than 35 books, the last two of which are "O Poder do Incômodo", Editora Gente (2021) and "Agroconsciente, a revolução criativa tropical", Editora Novo Século (2023). He is guest academic coordinator at the Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (Insper) and FIA/USP.