There is a general consensus that most of the poor in developing countries are net food buyers and food price increases are bad for the poor. This could be expected of urban poor, but it is also often attributed to the rural poor. Recent food price increases have increased the importance of this...

This chapter traces the evolution of the agricultural economics literature on agrifood output markets over the past 50 years, emphasizing research approaches and policy issues. The analysis of agrifood systems encompasses the demand and supply side of output markets. The analysis in this chapter...

ch. 1. Including small-scale producers in dynamic markets : Carrefour's quality lines in China / Dinghuan Hu and Xia Dandan -- ch. 2. Local procurement from small-scale farmers by rural supermarkets in South Africa / Estelle Bienabe and Hester Vermeulen -- ch. 3. Integrating small farmers in...

Ending hunger requires that each society find the right balance of market forces and government interventions to bring even a country's most vulnerable citizens into a sustainable food system. C. Peter Timmer explains how food markets operate and when it is effective for governments to step in