The Food and Beverage Export program consists of five, three-credit courses focusing on the exporting of food and beverages to Latin America and the Caribbean. The classes may be used toward a 21-credit Certificate or as a specialized track within the Associate of Science in Business. The Wolfson Campus of Miami-Dade Community College is unique in being the only educational institution in the Southeast offering this program.

South Florida is considered one of the largest gateways on international trade in the world. With more than 35 percent of the jobs in Miami-Dade County relating to international business, this program provides the hands-on, practical training in great demand by the local trade industry.

The curriculm has been appropriately developed with the input of businesses and government agencies operating in the international arena. Whether you are seeking employment in international trade or acting as a practitioner exploring new export markets, this program promises exploding profit potential.

Classes are offered at various times throughout the year.

This class is the introductory class in the Food and Beverage specialty. It provides an overview of the food and beverage industry and defines products handled by the US Department of Agriculture. Additionally, students will learn the basics of financing, researching and exporting products overseas.

The goal of this class is to provide a basic knowledge of the agricultural, food and beverage industry, defining the basic terminology and providing the basic knowledge to export the product.

The objectives will include the correct utilization of the terminology in order to successfully export agricultural products overseas. Tests will determine the students knowledge of basic principles and concepts related to food and beverage exports. Sources of information on exporting overseas and researching information to determine the best and most efficient method of getting the product to the customer will also be included.

Lectures will provide the basics by using handouts, books, and audio-visual materials. Additionally, students will be taken to the Port of Miami, Miami International Airport and the offices of the US Department of Agriculture to speak with officials about the basic operations of the facilities and about how they more products through the export process out of their respective areas.

Books, handouts, overhead projections (for analysis of pertinent documents) and other audio-visual materials.

The students will learn minimum standards for exporting a product to a foreign country. They will also discuss how to work with local consular offices and commercial attaches and foreign customs offices. They will learn the proper labeling, handling and necessary documentary forms required. NAFTA, WTO, and ICC regulations for food and beverages will also be discussed in the entering of foreign markets.

Minimum regulatory standards for exporting food and beverages to various regions and markets, minimum labeling standards, minimum handling standards and export regulations for entering foreign markets will be included in the course. Definitions of export terms and documentation needed to export food and beverages to export markets will also be practiced.

Lectures will be given by guest speakers who will make presentations ranging fro freight forwarding to customs declarations and bills of lading. Actual forms used in the export of food and beverages will be used and completed in class. Experiential training will be conducted by going to a bonded warehouse, the Miami Free Zone and agricultural warehouses to see how products are packed and prepared for export, among others. Audio and video materials will also be used.

Audiovisuals using tapes and overhead projector, books, handouts using pre-printed export forms, workbooks to be passed out or purchased by the students.

This class will cover the basic principles of marketing using the four P’s: product, price, promotion, and physical distribution. Since distribution will be covered in a separate class, only the basic concept of physical distribution will be explained in this class. The other three components--product, price and promotion--will be thoroughly explained, discussed and practiced using experiential demonstrations in the field. The course will specifically use food and beverages in teaching how to export specific products to specific countries, how to price those products for the target market and the various methods for promoting products overseas to the target market.

The class will cover the products which have the best export potential in overseas markets, the countries best suited for those product(s), and the best decision model based on market research. Pricing methodologies will be tested after they have been explained and discussed, and promotional techniques will be demonstrated in class and subsequently practiced.

Examples of successful marketing methods will be given for products exported to overseas markets. Lectures and presentations by successful entrepreneurs in the field will be given, and form experts who can assist the food and beverage exporter to be successful. Speakers will provide examples on how to resolve marketing problems abroad and how to avoid problems with local customs official in the country of destination. Experiential training will be given by taking students to the offices of a successful exporter marketers of food and beverage products.

Audio-Visual presentations using instructional tapes, overhead projectors and the computer as a tool for marketing the product through the Internet.

The course will teach students what the channels of distribution are for the food and beverage industry; how they are different from other products and the different types of market, i.e., institutional, commercial and retail. Students will be taught to use modeling concepts to determine the most efficient and best routes for transporting their products to the country of destination. All concepts will be tested through standard and non-traditional techniques.

Lectures will be provided by the instructor along with the presentations from relevant practitioners in the field. Theories will be explained and demonstrated using computer programs specifically designed for transportation strategies. Audio-visual presentations in various forms will also be used.

Audio-Visual in the form of overhead projections, video, government documents, database and Internet searches are projected.

This class provides additional knowledge in marketing a product through various different marketing channels including trade shows, retail grocery store positioning and shelving. It will also explain the different cultural and foreign customs in the overseas markets with emphasis on Latin America, including Central America and the Caribbean Basin. It will also take into account what is necessary to get a product sold once it has been successfully exported overseas. Since this is usually a part of the marketing function, this class will touch on the specifics related to the food and beverage industry, such as trade shows, point-of-purchase displays, store promotions, coupon sales and getting your product into major chain stores in Latin America.

Merchandising techniques used exclusively in the food and beverage industry will be discussed. Concepts and methods used in selling and marketing a product successfully overseas will be practiced.

Lectures and presentations with the assistance of experts in the field will be utilized. Experiential training using on-site demonstrations and audio-visual training materials will be utilized, and students will be encouraged to seek out successful merchandising examples within the community.

Audio-visual materials, field trips, on-site demonstrations, books and manuals are projected.