Founded in 1902, FECAP is renowned for excellence in business management education. Notably, the 2014 edition of the General Course Index (IGC) ranked FECAP among the top 1% of private institutions and among the top 2% of public and private institutions in Brazil. FECAP was also awarded best university centre in Brazil by the Editora Abril's Student Guide.
MSc & MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management
DOUBLE DEGREE IN A GROWING & DYNAMIC INDUSTRY
For future managers who are passionate about food and agriculture, this programme delivers since 2014 top academic and practical business knowledge to better manage the world’s food challenges in a responsible and innovative way.
With the increasing impact of globalisation and advancing technologies, the food, agrienergy and agricultural industries are in a state of expansion and evolution. As two of the world’s leading countries in agribusiness, France and Brazil are poised to play a fundamental role in the future of the food industry.
In the FAM programme, you’ll learn to excel in all aspects of food and agribusiness management, explore the latest design trends in the field, incorporate design thinking and techniques into your work and share best practices from all over the world. You’ll also earn degrees from two of the top schools in France and Brazil:
- Master of Science from Audencia Business School in Nantes, France
- MBA from FECAP Business School in São Paulo, Brazil
The FAM programme is accredited by the French accrediting body "Conférence des grandes écoles". Due to the limited number of places available in this competitive programme, we advise applying as soon as possible.
Key Information
| DEGREES EARNED | Master of Science from Audencia in France MBA from FECAP Business School in Brazil |
|---|---|
| LANGUAGE | Programme taught in English |
| ELIGIBILITY | Proficiency in English 1-year MSc: 4-year bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or science OR exceptionally a 4-year degree in another field with business experience or academic honours; 2-year MSc strongly recommended for those without a degree in business 2-year MSc: 3-year or 4-year degree in any field |
| PROGRAMME START | September 2023 |
|---|---|
| FORMAT | Term 1: In-person at Audencia (Nantes, France) Term 2: In-person at Audencia followed by FECAP (France & Brazil) |
| TUITION | 1-year MSc: €18,000 2-year MSc: €25,000 |
Programme
Prepare to help the global food and agribusiness sectors reinvent themselves! You’ll gain the tools you need to design innovative solutions for the challenges these enterprises face, manage all aspects of agribusiness operations and market food products effectively. Your programme includes:
- Internationalised study in both France and Brazil
- Courses taught by top faculty at Audencia and FECAP as well as ABAG industry professionals
- Guest lectures and workshops led by industry experts
- Field trips to a variety of SME, SMI and multinational agribusiness companies
- Practical master’s project with Audencia’s partner companies
- Worldwide, hands-on internship
Your cross-disciplinary combines study in management and agrifood science, bringing together high-achieving students from diverse academic backgrounds – from agronomic engineering to social sciences. You’ll also acquire beginners Portuguese in preparation for your stay in Brazil!
Term 1 (September to February)
You’ll gain a solid understanding of the foundational principles of food and agribusiness management, taking 30 ECTS at Audencia in Nantes, France, and participating in field trips across France. Courses may include:
- Entrepreneurship, Business Plan & Statistics
- Managing across Cultures
- Managerial Finance
- International Strategy
- Global Marketing
- CSR & Ethics
- Financial Accounting or Managerial Coaching (your choice)
- Food Innovation & Design Thinking
- Digital Communication
- Research Methods in Business
Term 2 (February to April)
Now it’s time to dig deeper into the field, taking another 15 ECTS and continuing to participate in field trips. You’ll also undertake a field project in France, working in a team on an industry-related case. Courses will be taught primarily by Audencia. Courses may include:
- Food Value Chain & Performance
- Operations in the Food Sector (including trading & B2B marketing)
- Supply Chain in Agriculture
- B2C Food Marketing
- Agribusiness, Strategy, Leadership & the Tropics
Term 2 continued (April to June)
At this point, you’ll move your studies to São Paulo, Brazil, taking a further 15 ECTS to build your expertise. You’ll participate in field trips and a field project in Brazil. Example courses include:
- Administration & Finance Risk Management from a Brazilian Perspective
- Public Strategies & International Policies from a Brazilian Perspective
- Sustainable & Disruptive Innovation from a Brazilian Perspective
- Value Chain Management & Marketing from a Brazilian Perspective
- Anthropology of Food, Innovations & Crisis in the Food Sector
A wide range of field trips and field projects in both France and Brazil will expand your real-world knowledge in an international context. This equips you to analyse issues facing the sector and apply your skills to solve problems.
In France, visits may include Terrena, D’aucy, Orvia, Eurofins, MIN (Marché Intérêt National Nantes), Diana Pet Food, Olmix, SIA (Paris international agricultural show), SIAL (international food exhibition), and Valorex.
In Brazil, visits may include Cacau Show, Agrishow, PariPassu, the Port of Santos, Nestlé Nespresso, the Accenture Innovation Center, Canal Rural and more (subject to availability).
Field trips and field projects are a component of each Term.
Term 3 (June to December)
(Minimum 4 months, maximum 6 months)
During your final term, you will complete an individual internship, a collective consulting mission for a company, or a research project. This is an opportunity for you to gain an inside look into the day-to-day workings of an enterprise in the food or agricultural sector anywhere in the world. Our career services consultants, strong corporate network, and successful Alumni network will support you in making your professional objectives a reality.
Internship or Company Mission
You’ll secure your work experience anywhere in the world with the assistance of our career advisors. This professional mission will be guided by a faculty member, so you’ll gain both a hands-on practical understanding and an academic one – something that looks good on any resume. Build your network and strengthen future career possibilities.
Example positions held by FAM interns: Market access specialist, Assistant project manager, Finance assistant, Purchasing assistant, Marketing and international trade assistant, International sales account manager, Junior business developer
Internships in France are paid; this will vary from country to country, depending on local laws.
Research Project
Instead, you may choose to work on a research project with a faculty member, delving into research questions applied to concrete company problems.
Term 3 (January to December)
In addition to your internship, company mission or research project, you will cap your programme with a professional dissertation (30 ECTS) examining an issue in the agribusiness industry – and proposing a solution.
We encourage you to use your previous work or research experience as the basis for this dissertation, highlighting your real-world experience and demonstrating your value to prospective employers. You’ll submit the written report and give an oral defence in December, either in-person in Nantes or from any place in the world via online communication tools.
Optional language courses
While your programme is 100% English-taught, you have the option of adding French and Portuguese to your steadily increasing list of qualifications.
Portuguese for Beginners: A total duration of 24 hours of Portuguese as a Foreign Language is included in your programme and counts for 3 ECTS credits.
French Language: You will have the opportunity to take optional French language courses in September before the programme begins. Audencia offers a four-week French language course with 20 hours of lessons a week for an additional cost of €600.
You may also learn independently at any time using your exclusive online access to Assimil, a proven intuitive language learning method, provided at no additional cost.
Additionally, you can choose to attend French as a Foreign Language (FLE) evening classes at the University of Nantes’ language department, which is situated just across the road from our main campus. There are a wide range of levels available. Contact the University of Nantes directly to register. Register early to secure your place.
Programme Structure
The MSc & MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management is available in two formats:
If you are a highly qualified student with a four-year degree in business, science or engineering, you may be eligible for the 1-year MSc & MBA in Food & Agribusines Management programme. If you have a degree in another field, or a three-year degree, the 2-year MSc programme is for you.
In the 1-year MSc programme, students start directly in the core courses, specialising further in their second semester, as outlined above.
If you have a four-year degree in a field other than business or a three-year degree in any field, you may be eligible for the 2-year MSc programme OR the 2-year Master in Management programme.
The first year of both programmes provide students with solid foundations in management and busines, while the second year allows students to specialise in their area of interest:
In the second year of the programme, students begin the core MSc courses, and specialise further in the following semester.
15
Nationalities (class of 2018)
59%
OF GRADUATES WORK INTERNATIONALLY
21%
OF GRADUATES WORK AS CONSULTANTS
International Partners
Audencia is among the elite 1% of business schools to hold triple accreditation from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. Our strong international partnerships serve as the foundation of your FAM programme. You’ll work with faculty members who have extensive industry experience, researchers who specialise in the field, and agribusiness and agrienergy corporate partners.
The FAM programme works closely with the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG), the main industry association for this sector, to develop state-of-the-art research and education. You will also be taught by leading professors in Brazil within the Biomarketing Educational Network.
The FAM programme partners with the following influential agribusiness and agrienergy corporate partners and organisations:
- Terrena
- Diana Symrise
- Valorex
- Olmix
- Brazilian Agribusiness Association
- Brazilian Agribusiness Marketing Association
- Brazilian Sales Directors Association
- Brazilian Cooperatives Association
- Brazilian Food Industry Association
- Brazilian Association of Supermarkets
- Brazilian Scientific Council for Sustainability Agribusiness
- ABMRA Brazilian Rural and Agribusiness Marketing Association
Career & Alumni
The world’s massive agricultural industry needs leaders who can tackle complex issues. With the global population growing at unprecedented rates, food production will need to double by 2050 – and geopolitical matters, limited water supplies and concerns about sustainability are becoming increasingly important. As a FAM graduate, you’ll have two key advantages in the global agribusiness marketplace:
- A double degree (Master of Science and MBA)
- Practical experience in two national business environments
Note: All statistics on this page are based on the number of replies to the question. They relate to all classes to date unless otherwise stipulated.
The insights and experience you gain from leading global agribusinesses throughout the FAM will qualify you for a range of positions and industries.
Example positions include:
- Marketing manager
- Product manager
- Purchaser and negotiator
- Retail manager
- Nutrition division manager
- Ingredient marketing and communications
- Market researcher
- Sales manager
- Demand planning and order fulfilment manager
- Commodity consultant
Example industries include:
- Agricultural equipment
- Animal health
- Fertilizer and crop protection
- Grains and oil seeds
- Food retail
- Seeds
- Beef, poultry and swine
- Consumer packaged goods
- Dairy products
- Ethanol
- Sugar and food ingredients
France & Brazil: Global agribusiness leaders
Learning and working in these two nations will have a profound effect on your career. You’ll make invaluable connections with industry professionals in both countries, which can lead to internships and careers in the field.
France is the third-largest economy in Europe and the sixth-largest economy in the world. France's food industry is the third largest in the world.
The EU’s leading agricultural nation, France is a major world exporter of high-quality agricultural commodities – and of course, French wines are more famous than any other country in the world.
The industry continues to grow. By the year 2024, the retail sales in the packaged food market in France is expected to reach US$95.4 billion, with growth of 4.5%.
The city of Nantes is located at the crossroads of the two most important agricultural and agrifood regions in France – Loire-Atlantique and Brittany. This area is also home to the largest concentration of cooperatives, SMEs and multinational agribusiness companies in France. It is the perfect location to study food and agribusiness management.
Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the ninth-largest economy in the world, supporting continued growth and opportunity within the food and agribusiness sector. Brazil is in the top four food-producing countries in the world, with approximately 34% of its total land area used as cropland. Brazil is a leading producer of coffee, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, oranges, pineapples, papaya, coconuts and beef.
It has the largest retail sales of the packaged food market in Latin America and the fifth largest in the world. Furthermore, this trend is expected to continue. By the 2024, Brazil is expected to have a growth rate of 30.8% in this sector.
France and Brazil have successful industry relationships, and Brazil’s top two retailers are French: Carrefour and Grupo Pao de Acucar (controlled by Casino). Brazil is an important player in food and agribusiness, and São Paulo is a major hub for agribusiness in South America.
A multinational professional network
Because you will be studying at two premier schools of management, you will benefit from the large professional networks of two career service departments. During the programme, you will have the chance to establish connections with leading agribusiness firms in each country.
Audencia provides you with personalised career services that address your specific experiences, strengths and weaknesses, and goals. We also cultivate close ties with the business world, which benefit you in the classroom and in your future career.
- Individual career coaching and advising
- 90,000+ employment opportunities posted each year on our dedicated intranet
- Employment fairs with 120+ companies
- CV workshops
- Interview preparation and mock interviews
- Panel discussions with professionals and alumni
- Assessment centre preparation
- Personal development programme on topics including leadership skills, communication skills, ethics, intercultural management and networking
- Auditing sector fair
- Information resources and online tools
- Access to 100+ career events on various topics
Audencia also has a business incubator that supports select graduates in their entrepreneurial work.
Audencia Alumni
Join more than 27,000 Audencia Business School alumni working across the globe. Audencia Alumni includes 200+ communities in cities such as London, New York and Shanghai. Furthermore, over 2,000 of our alumni have become CEOs.
The alumni association will help you connect with other professionals and provide additional development and networking opportunities to support your career.
Admissions & Finance
For a full breakdown of programme pathways, eligibility requirements and application procedures, see: Admissions Pathways.
Join us in Nantes to internationalise your future career!
Testimonials
Terrena
Today, the future of Terrena lies in international development. This is why the partnership with Audencia’s Food & Agribusiness Management, an international programme, is very meaningful. This training offers students, often with a double degree, an open mindset towards the world; which is vital in the current agricultural & agri-food context. This partnership is the opportunity for Terrena to introduce the diversity and richness of the group to potential future collaborators.
Prof Msc Jose Luiz Tejon
Advisory Board Member, ABMRA – Associação Brasileira de Marketing rural e Agronegocio; Biomarketing Director, CCAS – conselho cientifico do agro sustentáve
This fascinating program brings students from all over the world together in Brazil, the number one location for tropical agribusiness in the world. We provide the best for our students, with not only a European and Brazilian point of view, but also with an impressive agricultural focus on scalability and sustainability, as well as logistical and educational challenges, and of course – the main objective in agribusiness, food, and management – how to add value through understanding human perception. There is not another master programme like this.
Corinne Lamour
FAM Programme Director, Audencia
This programme, developed in partnership with our Brazilian partners, aims to train responsible entrepreneurial and innovative managers within the food and agribusiness sector. We are committed to ensuring students gain a complete understanding of management (marketing, finance, HR, strategy, CSR, etc.), work in groups to solve problems put forward by companies from the sector and develop a unique professional project that nurtures their ability to innovate.
Roberto Rodrigues
Former Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply
Agribusiness has increasingly begun to demand knowledge not only of production, technology, infrastructure and distribution, but also of human perception. For small-scale farmers, cooperatives, family-based agriculture and even large-scale production to be successful, knowledge of the marketing perspective is key.
The FAM programme is an excellent initiative towards producing professionals and executives with a global vision of agribusiness.
Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho
President of the Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG)
For us in Brazil, where agribusiness represents a major part of our economy, we have a growing need for professionals who are prepared for the future of the industry. This is also a great opportunity for students from Europe and around the world to be educated in this field in both Brazil and France.