Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed
There are no easy solutions to the ongoing food price crisis. Maize and wheat prices doubled between 2003 and 2008, and the price of rice doubled in the first four months of 2008, rising 33 percent in a single day. Even with declines in food prices later in 2008, prices remain well above 2000–2005 l...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2009
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161904 |
| _version_ | 1855518731777605632 |
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| author | Smale, Melinda Cohen, Marc J. Nagarajan, Latha |
| author_browse | Cohen, Marc J. Nagarajan, Latha Smale, Melinda |
| author_facet | Smale, Melinda Cohen, Marc J. Nagarajan, Latha |
| author_sort | Smale, Melinda |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | There are no easy solutions to the ongoing food price crisis. Maize and wheat prices doubled between 2003 and 2008, and the price of rice doubled in the first four months of 2008, rising 33 percent in a single day. Even with declines in food prices later in 2008, prices remain well above 2000–2005 levels. To address the complex causes of this phenomenon, IFPRI has recommended a combination of “emergency” and “resilience” actions. One of the proposed policies emphasizes the need to boost agricultural production. This “emergency” agriculture package requires carefully targeted subsidies to ensure increases in production of major foodcrops (rice, wheat, and maize) in favorable environments with good soils, moisture, and market infrastructure. Following the Green Revolution model, delivery of improved varieties of seed, fertilizers, and other inputs, along with targeted, short-term subsidies, would augment production through higher yields rather than area expansion, so that scarce land can be reserved for other crops and uses. As part of the “resilience” package, IFPRI proposes scaled-up investment in agricultural growth to bolster production responses over the longer term. Until recently, public complacency regarding food abundance has contributed to a prolonged decline in agricultural investment by aid donors and developing-country governments. In-depth field research—undertaken by IFPRI with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners in India, Kenya, and Mali—brings to light new evidence about farmers’ access to seed and the role of village markets in supplying it, with a focus on semi-arid environments. The findings point to several policy options aimed at improving the effectiveness of these markets, which can be crucial for reducing the potential negative impacts of high food prices. Such options might be considered in tandem with those recommended for more favorable environments, where seed systems already function more effectively. This brief introduces the issues that drove this research project, relevant concepts, and methods. The accompanying briefs present findings of specific country case studies. |
| format | Brief |
| id | CGSpace161904 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publishDateRange | 2009 |
| publishDateSort | 2009 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1619042025-11-06T04:24:21Z Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed Smale, Melinda Cohen, Marc J. Nagarajan, Latha food prices markets agricultural development farmers seeds agricultural growth millets pidgeon peas sorghum There are no easy solutions to the ongoing food price crisis. Maize and wheat prices doubled between 2003 and 2008, and the price of rice doubled in the first four months of 2008, rising 33 percent in a single day. Even with declines in food prices later in 2008, prices remain well above 2000–2005 levels. To address the complex causes of this phenomenon, IFPRI has recommended a combination of “emergency” and “resilience” actions. One of the proposed policies emphasizes the need to boost agricultural production. This “emergency” agriculture package requires carefully targeted subsidies to ensure increases in production of major foodcrops (rice, wheat, and maize) in favorable environments with good soils, moisture, and market infrastructure. Following the Green Revolution model, delivery of improved varieties of seed, fertilizers, and other inputs, along with targeted, short-term subsidies, would augment production through higher yields rather than area expansion, so that scarce land can be reserved for other crops and uses. As part of the “resilience” package, IFPRI proposes scaled-up investment in agricultural growth to bolster production responses over the longer term. Until recently, public complacency regarding food abundance has contributed to a prolonged decline in agricultural investment by aid donors and developing-country governments. In-depth field research—undertaken by IFPRI with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners in India, Kenya, and Mali—brings to light new evidence about farmers’ access to seed and the role of village markets in supplying it, with a focus on semi-arid environments. The findings point to several policy options aimed at improving the effectiveness of these markets, which can be crucial for reducing the potential negative impacts of high food prices. Such options might be considered in tandem with those recommended for more favorable environments, where seed systems already function more effectively. This brief introduces the issues that drove this research project, relevant concepts, and methods. The accompanying briefs present findings of specific country case studies. 2009 2024-11-21T09:59:19Z 2024-11-21T09:59:19Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161904 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Smale, Melinda; Cohen, Marc J.; Nagarajan, Latha. 2009. Local markets, local varieties. Issue Brief 59. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161904 |
| spellingShingle | food prices markets agricultural development farmers seeds agricultural growth millets pidgeon peas sorghum Smale, Melinda Cohen, Marc J. Nagarajan, Latha Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title | Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title_full | Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title_fullStr | Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title_short | Local markets, local varieties: Rising food prices and small farmers' access to seed |
| title_sort | local markets local varieties rising food prices and small farmers access to seed |
| topic | food prices markets agricultural development farmers seeds agricultural growth millets pidgeon peas sorghum |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161904 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT smalemelinda localmarketslocalvarietiesrisingfoodpricesandsmallfarmersaccesstoseed AT cohenmarcj localmarketslocalvarietiesrisingfoodpricesandsmallfarmersaccesstoseed AT nagarajanlatha localmarketslocalvarietiesrisingfoodpricesandsmallfarmersaccesstoseed |