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UNU-WIDER The Political Economy of Food Price Policy

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A family in Tarialan, Uvs Province, Mongolia, uses a solar panel to generate power for their 'ger', a traditional Mongolian tent. Tarialan, Mongolia. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.

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The Political Economy of Food Price Policy

Project name/title
The Political Economy of Food Price Policy
Year:
2011
Abstract:
Food price volatility is one of the major challenges facing the global agricultural system today. This was most vividly illustrated during the global food crisis of 2007-2009 when price spikes occurred for key staple commodities such as wheat, rice, maize, and soybeans. Given the variety of reactions by governments of countries experiencing similar food price shocks, the 2007-2009 crisis offers an excellent natural experiment for generating knowledge on responses to price volatility in particular and on the political economy of agricultural policy-making more generally. With its collaborating partners, UNU-WIDER will support case study research on 17 low- and middle-income countries that were highly affected by the 2007-2009 food crisis. The aim of these case studies will be to uncover which political economy factors, ranging from the constellation of different interest groups to the nature of political institutions, explain variations in policy responses across countries. These case studies will prove valuable for at least three target audiences. First, they can inform international organizations and donors about which types of policy interventions can mitigate price volatility and whether they are feasible given a country’s political economy context. Secondly, they can help national policymakers better understand the trade-offs of certain policy interventions. Thirdly, they can generate knowledge about the agricultural policy-making process in developing countries, which remains incredibly scarce despite the importance of agriculture to these countries’ economies.
Keywords:
Price volatility, agricultural policy, food crises, policy processes, rural development, Africa, Asia, Latin America
Contact:

Collaborating Institution(s):
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
Institute of Food and Resource Economics (FOI) at University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

External Project Director:
Per Pinstrup-Andersen

UNU-WIDER focal point:
Danielle Resnick, Research Fellow;
Finn Tarp, Director of UNU-WIDER

Project Assistant:
Lisa Winkler

Project Meetings
Workshops
Publications:
Content:
 
Policy Briefs
Policy Brief - The political economy of food price policy.pdf Policy Brief - The political economy of food price policy: An overview.pdf (213.37 kilobytes)


Policy Brief - Egypt case study.pdf Policy Brief - Egypt case study.pdf (227.45 kilobytes)


Policy Brief - Ethiopia case study.pdf Policy Brief - Ethiopia case study.pdf (249.46 kilobytes)


Policy Brief - Kenya case study.pdf Policy Brief - Kenya case study.pdf (256.25 kilobytes)


Policy Brief - Malawi case study.pdf Policy Brief - Malawi case study.pdf (251.1 kilobytes)

 

Policy Brief - Nigeria case study.pdf Policy Brief - Nigeria case study.pdf (245.18 kilobytes)

Policy Brief - Senegal case study.pdf Policy Brief - Senegal case study.pdf (246.49 kilobytes)

 

Policy Brief - South Africa case study.pdf Policy Brief - South Africa case study.pdf (228.63 kilobytes)


Policy Brief - Zambia case study.pdf Policy Brief - Zambia case study.pdf (236.48 kilobytes)

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