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Exploring the Logic Behind Southern Africa's Food Crises

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  • Tschirley, David L.
  • Jayne, T.S.

Abstract

Summary Government action during food crises in southern Africa frequently exacerbates the problems, driving food staple prices well beyond import parity. We argue that an inability to make credible commitments, due largely to a lack of trust between public and private sectors, contributes to this dynamic. Empirical policy analysis can facilitate resolution only within a consultative process involving a broad range of stakeholders. The policies emerging from such a process are not likely to approximate first best recommendations. Yet the precise policies may be less important than the fact that they exist and that main stakeholders find them credible.

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  • Tschirley, David L. & Jayne, T.S., 2010. "Exploring the Logic Behind Southern Africa's Food Crises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 76-87, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:38:y:2010:i:1:p:76-87
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    6. Christophe Gouel, 2014. "Food Price Volatility and Domestic Stabilization Policies in Developing Countries," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Food Price Volatility, pages 261-306, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Assefa, Thomas Woldu & Minten, Bart, 2015. "Can agricultural traders be trusted? Evidence from urban coffee markets in Ethiopia:," ESSP working papers 72, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Jean-Christophe Bureau & Sébastien Jean, 2013. "International Agricultural Trade and Negotiations : Coping with a New Landscape [Commerce et négociations agricoles commerciales: s'ajuster au nouvel environnement]," Working Papers hal-01592099, HAL.
    9. Ellis, Frank & Manda, Elizabeth, 2012. "Seasonal Food Crises and Policy Responses: A Narrative Account of Three Food Security Crises in Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1407-1417.
    10. Elodie Maître d'Hôtel & Tristan Le Cotty & Thom Jayne, 2013. "Trade Policy Inconsistency and Maize Price Volatility: An ARCH Approach in Kenya," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 25(4), pages 607-620.
    11. John Baffes, 2014. "Global Economic Prospects : Commodity Markets Outlook, July 2014," World Bank Publications, The World Bank, number 20401.
    12. Zhou Yujun & Baylis Kathy, 2020. "Effects of Stockholding Policy on Maize Prices: Evidence from Zambia," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-11, January.
    13. Christophe Gouel, 2013. "Rules versus Discretion in Food Storage Policies," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(4), pages 1029-1044.
    14. Durevall, Dick & van der Weide, Roy, 2014. "Importing High Food Prices by Exporting: Rice Prices in Lao PDR," Working Papers in Economics 607, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    15. Kornher, Lukas & Kalkuhl, Matthias, 2015. "Cost and benefits from regional cooperation on grain reserves: The case of ECOWAS," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211824, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Mather, David & Minde, Isaac & Waized, Betty & Ndyetabula, Daniel & Temu, Anna, 2016. "The profitability of inorganic fertilizer use in smallholder maize production in Tanzania: Implications for alternative strategies to improve smallholder maize productivity," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 245891, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    17. Dick Durevall & Roy Weide, 2017. "Importing High Food Prices by Exporting: Rice Prices in Lao PDR," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 164-181, February.
    18. Wenshou Yan, 2016. "Political Economy of Trade and Storage Policies Coordination, and the Role of Domestic Public Storage in the World Market," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2016-16, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
    19. Hélène David-Benz & Patrick Rasolofo & Stéphanie Andriamparany, 2010. "Observatoire et plateforme de concertation : deux outils complémentaires d'aide à la décisison pour la filière riz à Madagascar," Post-Print hal-00739936, HAL.
    20. Porteous, Obie, 2017. "Empirical effects of short-term export bans: The case of African maize," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 17-26.
    21. Minten, Bart & Assefa, Thomas & Hirvonen, Kalle, 2017. "Can Agricultural Traders be Trusted? Evidence from Coffee in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 77-88.
    22. Lila Cardell & Hope Michelson, 2023. "Price risk and small farmer maize storage in Sub‐Saharan Africa: New insights into a long‐standing puzzle," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(3), pages 737-759, May.
    23. Minghui Xu & Yibo Luan & Zhenke Zhang & Shengnan Jiang, 2021. "Dietary pattern changes over Africa and its implication for land requirements for food," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1-26, March.
    24. Smale, Melinda & Byerlee, Derek & Jayne, Thom S., 2011. "Maize Revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 202592, Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development.
    25. Sitko, Nicholas J. & Jayne, T.S., 2014. "Exploitative Briefcase Businessmen, Parasites, and Other Myths and Legends: Assembly Traders and the Performance of Maize Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 56-67.

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