Courses & Seminars

Understanding the Food Consumer
MKGS31215 - CRN123

To provide a reading frame and the tools to better analyze the postmodern Food Consumers, and beyond, to understand the global consumption drivers and matrix. Through the example of food, we propose to teach the fundamentals of anthropology. The “consumercook-eater-citizen” evolves in a system of meanings that must be unraveled in order to reveal the motivations behind his or her actions.

Food Concept Creative Workshop
MKGS31301 - CRN44

This one-week workshop will address every year a different theme that is at the crossroads of multiple challenges of the agri-food ecosystem.

The 2024 edition focused on the theme "Food for Travelers”. Yet, fulfilling the very specific needs of travelers in highly-constrained environment is a multi-dimensional challenge, in terms of operations, design, environment, cuisine, culture, nutrition, or public health. Students were invited to imagine new concepts, in response to real-life problems shared by the workshop corporate partners(2022 and 2024): AIR FRANCE, SERVAIR, RATP TRAVEL RETAIL, ALTAREA, VINCI AIRPORTS, LAGARDERE TRAVEL RETAIL, SSP GROUP

Agri-Food Sustainable Development 

MGTS31401 - CRN 82

The course tries to answer the following question: can the Agfood companies “do well (profit) by doing good (to the people, to the planet)? Can sustainable development initiatives become a source of competitive advantage?   

The World of Food Challenges

MKGS31431 - CRN 166

During the seminar participants will focus on an issue which spans over a wide range of companies and food ecosystem stakeholders and across geographies. The goals will be to better understand the issues - issue analysis - the different challenges and possible complications associated with the issues, the activities that must be performed to design a solution and its implementation roadmap.

In 2024, the seminar will focus on food insecurity and related issues (SDG 2). In France, between 8 and 10 million people suffer from food insecurity - not having enough food of good quality on their table. Food insecurity is morally unbearable and it affects health. Other countries face the same issues and between 700 and 900 million suffer from hunger, many of them being farmers.  Students working in groups will explore the challenges and propose a model to solve the issue.

Insights on Food Challenges
MKGS31441 - CRN 120

Through actual case studies presented and led by senior managers,

chair students will work on the main challenges facing companies in

the food industry, whether strategic or operational, impacting different

areas of activities: CSR, marketing and communication, supply chain

and data management, etc. Case studies will be designed by ESSEC

professors along with partner company executives.