The behavior of agricultural commodity markets can arguably result in markedly asymmetric price cycles, that is, downward cycles of substantially different length and breadth than upward cycles. This study assesses whether asymmetric-cycle models can enhance the understanding of the dynamics and provide for a better forecasting of U.S. soybeans and Brazilian coffee prices. The forecasts from as...

In this paper, we draw the key linkages between future biofuels growth on agricultural commodity prices, and highlight some of the key uncertainties over OECD fuel and energy policies, and their implications for global agricultural markets and the world food situation. Our results show some of the implications that biofuels expansion has on crop area expansion in regions where environmental con...

Informal land markets, particularly land rental markets, are emerging rapidly in many parts of subSaharan Africa (SSA). Land rental markets have the potential to contribute to structural transformation if, for example, such markets facilitate the transfer of land from less productive to more productive farming households. Although there is a growing literature on the determinants of smallholder...

Accumulating evidence suggests that agricultural production could be greatly affected by climate change, but there remains little quantitative understanding of how these agricultural impacts would affect economic livelihoods in poor countries. Herewe consider three scenarios of agricultural impacts of climate change by 2030 (impacts resulting in low, medium, or high productivity) and evaluate t...

This paper challenges the hypothesis that negative yield effects in key temperate grain producing regions of the world resulting from global climate change would have a serious impact on world food production. Model results demonstrate that even with concurrent productivity losses in the major grain producing regions of the world, global warming will not seriously disrupt world agricultural mar...

This study quantitatively analyzes the general equilibrium effects of declines in world demand for tobacco products. The study finds that tobacco exports and production in the three developing countries, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Turkey, would be badly hit if world tobacco prices fall due to the decline in tobacco demand. Moreover, for a given decrease in the world tobacco price, the more important...

BACKGROUND To assess the effect of policies supporting local medicine production to improve access to medicines. METHODS We adapted the WHO/HAI instruments measuring medicines availability and prices to differentiate local from imported products, then pilot tested in Ethiopia and Tanzania. In each outlet, prices were recorded for all products in stock for medicines on a country-specific list....

This central objective is manifest in the sectoral strategies implemented by the various government ministries. For the Ministry of Agriculture, notably, the goal is to increase the incomes of small farmers. Given the very competitive agricultural sectors of its Thai and Vietnamese neighbors, Cambodia wishes to better showcase the quality of its products and obtain better prices for them.

Climate is the primary important factor for agricultural production. Concerning the potential effects of climatic change on agriculture has motivated important change of research during the last decade. The research topics concentrate possible physical effects of climatic change on agriculture, such as changes in crop and livestock yields as well as the economic consequences of these potential ...

The paper surveys the price competitiveness of agricultural production in Central and East European Countries (CEECs). It draws together empirical work conducted by the authors and other studies that have estimated domestic resource cost (DRC) ratios for agriculture in various CEECs. The paper identifies that in general CEEC crop production is more internationally competitive than livestock far...