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  • © 2018

The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • Offers an elegant yet accessible introduction to the political economy of agricultural economics and food policies

  • Presents both theoretical arguments and empirical evidence

  • Documents major changes and variations in agricultural and food policies

  • Blends a firm analytical grasp of welfare economics principles with a nuanced understanding of how ideology drives political economy

  • Emphasizes the importance of interactions between institutions and economic and political forces

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eBook USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-137-50102-8
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
  2. Part I

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Introduction

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 3-12
    3. Factors Influencing Policy Choices

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 35-66
  3. Part II

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 67-67
    2. The Development Paradox

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 69-86
  4. Part III

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 135-135
    2. Food Price Volatility

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 137-149
    3. Food Standards

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 169-187
    4. Land and Institutional Reforms

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 199-224
    5. Policy Interactions

      • Johan Swinnen
      Pages 225-239
  5. Back Matter

    Pages 241-254

About this book

Winner of the European Association of Agricultural Economists Book Award

Food and agriculture have been subject to heavy-handed government interventions throughout much of history and across the globe, both in developing and in developed countries.  Today, more than half a trillion US dollars are spent by some governments to support farmers, while other governments impose regulations and taxes that hurt farmers. Some policies, such as price regulations and tariffs, distribute income but reduce total welfare by introducing economic distortions.  Other policies, such as public investments in research, food standards, or land reforms, may increase total welfare, but these policies come also with distributional effects.  These distributional effects influence the preferences of interest groups and in turn influence policy decisions.  Political considerations are therefore crucial to understand how agricultural and food policies are determined, to identify the constraints within which welfare-enhancing reforms are possible (or not), and finally to understand how coalitions can be created to stimulate growth and reduce poverty. 

Keywords

  • agricultural economics
  • organization
  • political economy
  • agriculture
  • growth
  • income distribution
  • industrial organization
  • international economics
  • politics
  • regulation
  • taxation
  • trade policy
  • transition
  • Transition Countries

Authors and Affiliations

  • LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Johan Swinnen

About the author

Johan Swinnen is Professor of Economics and Director of the LICOS-Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance at the University of Leuven, Belgium.  He is also Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, a part-time Visiting Professor at the Centre for Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University, USA, and Mercator Fellow at the University of Gottingen, Germany. Swinnen has previously served as President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, Lead Economist at the World Bank, and Economic Advisor at the European Commission. 

Bibliographic Information

Buying options

eBook USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-137-50102-8
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)