Economic efficiency is a key issue for economic research and for policy design, and certainly for food security challenges. In the food system dynamics the understanding of changes and trends is crucial to improve our capacity in dealing with sustainable development and quality of life...

Since the 2007–08 food crisis, many thoughtful analyses have addressed the causes and impacts of high and volatile international food prices and proposed solutions to the crisis. These studies have covered global as well as local food price dynamics and policy reactions. The food price problem...

AAMP Policy Briefing 1 January, 2010 This brief summarizes the policy implications of three thematic papers and seven country background papers prepared for the COMESA-ACTESA policy seminar on “Variations in staple food prices: Causes, consequences, and policy implications.” There is little...

Accurate information on farmer and consumer behavior is the foundation for identifying public investments and policies that can effectively promote national food security and income growth objectives. This policy brief summarizes recent findings from a study on smallholder crop marketing...

Because of the role which parent firms can play in identifying recipients, in specifying the nature of the assistance needed and in providing some required functions directly themselves in tandem with the activities supported by the aid program, subcontracting systems can provide a particularly...

Though Zambia has considerable agricultural potential, the sector’s contribution to growth and poverty reduction has been limited. The sector remains one of the most important employers of labour and remains the main source of livelihood for most rural households in Zambia. Thus key...

The maize-oriented agricultural economies throughout Southern Africa are in fundamental transition. Increased recognition of the costs of historical controls on pricing and marketing already has led to partial maize market liberalization in several countries in the region. However, there is...

To identify constraints and options to increase bean subsector’s productivity, 239 farmers and 57 city traders were surveyed, and a rapid appraisal of the El Salvadorian market was conducted. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, logistic analysis, and linear regression analysis....