food price volatility

This article in the Journal of Agricultural Economics, examines the importance of agricultural price shocks to economic growth in selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries. The novel aspect of this study is that the authors determine whether the response of per capita GDP for the selected Sub-Saharan African countries is different to unexpected increases in agricultural commodity prices as opposed to decreases in prices. »

This article in the The Journal of Nutrition, investigated the associations between food price spikes and childhood malnutrition in Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s largest states. The authors tested the hypothesis that the escalating prices of rice, legumes, eggs, and other staples of Indian diets significantly increased the risk of wasting (weight-for-height z scores) in children. »

This paper (PDF) by the Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), investigates the impact of the recent food price crisis on the quantity and quality of the dietary composition of rural and urban households in Tanzania. Results using household data from the 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2012/13 waves of the Tanzania National Panel Survey show that urban households are more vulnerable than rural households to food price shocks. »

This paper in the African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics reviews conceptually, and then empirically for a sample of small and poor economies, the role of trade measures for achieving the social objective of assisting those hurt by sharp changes in food prices. »

International food prices declined 14% between August 2014 and May 2015, sliding into a five-year low and continuing the sharp price declines observed in previous months. This issue of the Food Price Watch reflects on the unforeseen breadth and depth of the current oil price crash, and the potential impacts it might have on international food prices, poverty, and inequality. It includes following headings: global price trends; domestic price trends; and linking international oil and food prices. »

This book tries to enhance knowledge on responses to price volatility of governments and on the political economy of agricultural policy-making in general. The analysis starts from the global food crises of 2007-9 when prices surged for key staple food commodities and uses the variety of reactions from governments of different countries to generate knowledge on responses to price volatility. Since governments experienced similar food price shocks, the author argues that this case offers an excellent natural experiment for generating this knowledge. »