Bibliography p. 41-48.

'As they often do, Jamie Morrison and Alexander Sarris have provided researchers, policy-makers, and the interested public with the firm empirical grounding needed for sound agricultural development policies. They have synthesized from a rich and varied set of country studies a unique contribution to one of the key challenges of our times increasing the productivity of smallholder food production in the age of globalization.' Timothy A. Wise, Tufts University, US 'Food security has been a major concern in Africa for decades, and a more pressing problem with recent increases in food prices. The editors and contributors to this volume are experts in the field and should be commended for a timely, informative and in places challenging analysis of food production and markets in eastern and southern Africa. The volume brings a refreshing variety of theoretical, analytical and informed case study approaches to bear on the food security problem; it should be read by anybody seriously interested in African development.' Oliver Morrissey, University of Nottingham, UK Drawing on insights from theoretical applications, empirically based approaches and case study experience, this book contributes to the improved design and use of trade and related policy interventions in staple food markets. Trade policy interventions have a potentially critical role to play in the development of staple food markets in developing countries and, as a source of revenue, in wider processes of rural development. Governments have long defended trade and related policy interventions in staple food markets on the basis of food security concerns. However, the design and implementation of these policies has often resulted in unintended impacts, increasing the risks faced by private sector actors and reducing their incentives for investment in improved market performance. In the context of increasingly volatile staple food markets, this book, commissioned from leading experts in this field, seeks to enhance dialogue between stakeholders involved in, and affected by, the design and use of trade and related policy interventions. This significant book will appeal to policy analysts and decision makers influential in the design and implementation of trade and related market interventions, as well as students of development economics. Researchers contributing to debates on the use and impacts of trade and related market interventions in staple food markets in poor countries will also find this volume of great benefit.

The need for agricultural reform; How far did reforms go? Impact of the reforms; The future of agricultural market reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. Examining the origins of Africa’s “growth tragedy,” Markets and States in Tropical Africa has for decades shaped the thinking of practitioners and scholars alike. Robert H. Bates’s analysis now faces a challenge, however: the revival of economic growth on the continent. In this edition, Bates provides a new preface and chapter that address the seeds of Africa’s recovery and discuss the significance of the continent’s success for the arguments of this classic work.

Rapid population growth, poorly planned urbanization, and evolving agricultural production and distribution practices are changing foodways in African cities and creating challenges: Africans are increasingly facing hunger, undernutrition, and malnutrition. Yet change also creates new opportunities. The food economy currently is the main source of jobs on the continent, promising more employment in the near future in farming, food processing, and food product distribution. These opportunities are undermined, however, by inefficient links among farmers, intermediaries, and consumers, leading to the loss of one-third of all food produced. This volume is an in-depth analysis of food system shortcomings in three West African cities: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Rabat, Morocco; and Niamey, Niger. Using the lens of geographical economics and sociology, the authors draw on quantitative and qualitative field surveys and case studies to offer insightful analyses of political institutions. They show the importance of “hard†? physical infrastructure, such as transport, storage, and wholesale and retail market facilities. They also describe the “soft†? infrastructure of institutions that facilitate trade, such as interpersonal trust, market information systems, and business climates. The authors find that the vague mandates and limited capacities of national trade and agriculture ministries, regional and urban authorities, neighborhood councils, and market cooperatives often hamper policy interventions. This volume comes to a simple conclusion: international development policy makers and their financial and technical partners have neglected urban markets for far too long, and now is the time to rethink and reinvest in this complex yet crucial subject.

The long-term reduction of hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the great challenges for the international development community. Eliminating hunger and promoting widespread growth in the region inevitably involves agriculture, given its central role in the region’s economies. Over the past 20 years, most African governments have carried out reforms to deregulate agricultural markets and reduce the role of state enterprises. How much has the state actually withdrawn from agricultural markets? Have well-functioning private markets emerged? How successful were these reforms in boosting agricultural production, economic growth, and the incomes of the rural poor? What lessons can we learn from the reform process? The authors of this book address these questions through an analysis based on an extensive review of experiences with reform, focusing on three major agricultural markets: fertilizer, food crops, and export crops. They examine the historical rationales for intervention, the factors contributing to reform, the process of implementation, and the impact of the reforms on farmers and consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors find that reforms have had many favorable results, but that the impact has been muted by partial implementation and structural constraints. They propose a new agenda for promoting the development of agricultural markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifying areas where governments can play a supportive role. They argue that appropriate agricultural marketing policies and investments can improve livelihoods and the economic health of the region.

"The study concentrates on private processing and marketing of high-value foods, including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products, fresh and processed fish, oilseeds and vegetable oil, nuts, and spices"--Back cover.

This book maps the process and political economy of policy making in Africa. It's focus on trade and industrial policy makes it unique and it will appeal to students and academics in economics, political economy, political science and African studies. Detailed case studies help the reader to understand how the process and motivation behind policy decisions can vary from country to country depending on the form of government, ethnicity and nationality and other social factors.