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

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...

Rice production in Africa has tended to be low-yielding, geographically dispersed, and uncompetitive against low-cost Asian imports, even when protected by high freight costs and substantial trade barriers. Skyrocketing prices in world markets in 2007-08 were a shock to African consumers,...