15 May New publications on managing food price instability

A new article and a book on managing food price instability has been published. The article “Managing Food Price Instability: Critical Assessment of the Dominant Doctrine” is forthcoming in Global Food Security. By examining the degree to which its underlying assumptions are confirmed, and the effects generated if they are not, it shows that the doctrine  that has dominated both in academic and political circles since the late 1980s substantially underestimates (i) the magnitude of price instability generated by food markets, (ii) the degree to which farmers and consumers in developing countries are exposed to this instability, and (iii) the resulting effects on welfare (including macroeconomic and long-term consequences). Shifts from doctrine recommendations are therefore justified.
Download the article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2013.02.001(apparently available on line for free, for now)
The book “Managing Food Price Instability in Developing Countries. Critical Analysis of Strategies and Instruments” is published by AFD.  Based on a comprehensive review of the theoretical and empirical literature, this book provides a critical evaluation of the different possible strategies for managing food price instability and calls into question the dominant doctrine. The second part of the book provides a detailed analysis of the different instruments that can be employed to implement the strategies.This book builds on the results of a study conducted by a European network of researchers. It benefited from the comments of international experts (a previous version of the first chapter was widely circulated in the form of a Working Paper) and it includes a preface by Peter Timmer and boxes written by Jonathan Coulter, Paul Dorosh, Johny Egg, Thom Jayne, Gerdien Meijerink, Gideon Onumah, Peter Timmer and many others.
Download the book:
http://www.afd.fr/webdav/site/afd/shared/PUBLICATIONS/RECHERCHE/Scientifiques/A-savoir/17-VA-A-Savoir.pdf