Disarray in World Food Markets: A Quantitative Assessment

by Rod Tyers, Kym Anderson

Overview

Why have agricultural policies become more inward-looking as the world becomes increasingly interdependent economically? Disarray in World Food Markets addresses the nature and causes of this crisis in international trade policy. Its analysis of the effects of these food policies is complemented by a quantitative review of the long term trends in world food markets. The study also extensively examines the reasons why governments choose to implement distortionary policies. These issues have been widely discussed, particularly because of the interest generated by the so-called Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, held under the auspices of the GATT. Disarray in World Food Markets analyzes some of the elements of the reforms emerging from these trade negotiations and discusses what the likely benefits may be. The model on which the analysis is based has a number of features unique for its time. It incorporates thirty countries and country groups, seven food commodity groups, the dynamic properties of international food markets, the pure protection component of food and agricultural policy, as well as the insulating component of policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521351058
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/31/1992
Series:	Trade and Development
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.18(d)

Table of Contents

List of figures; List of tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations and glossary; Symbols; Introduction and Summary; Part I. World Food Markets and their Behaviour: 1. Changing patterns of world food prices, production and trade; 2. Distortionary policies affecting food markets; 3. Reasons for the pattern of food price distortions; Part II. Effects of Food Market Distortions: 4. The theory of food market distortions: a graphical approach; 5. A model of world food market behaviour; 6. Effects of existing policies; Part III. Food Policy Reform: 7. Effects of gradual liberalization of OECD food markets; 8. Economic reform in the centrally planned economies: the great enigma; 9. Policy implications and prospects for reform; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Tyers and Anderson are in the forefront of studies on the international economics of agriculture, and this work is a powerful amalgam of their individual and joint contributions over the past ten years." Asian-Pacific Economic Literature

From the Publisher