AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY

This textbook is about modern agricultural economics and policy aimed at advanced degree students. Based on the lecture notes taught at the University of California, Berkeley, it presents a comprehensive perspective on agricultural policy, its evolution, challenges, and limitations. The first part of the book includes cutting-edge analytical analysis of production, technology, risk, environmental, and policy issues in agriculture. The second part of the book applies the analysis in areas of agricultural supply chain, food security, land conservation, pesticide use, and climate change. The book provides a multidisciplinary approach to analyse natural resources and environmental issues in agriculture, and introduces readers to the concepts of sustainability, biodiversity, bioeconomy, supply chain, and the role of agriculture and natural resources in addressing climate change. The book includes numerous applications as well as six problem sets with selected solutions.

Contents:

• About the Authors
• Prologue: The Uniqueness of Agricultural Economics
• History of US Agriculture: A Lesson in Development
• Review of Production Economics
• Consumer Demand
• Economic Analysis of Behavior under Risk and Uncertainty
• Welfare Analysis of Agricultural Policies
• The Political Economy of Agricultural Policies
• Agricultural Innovation
• Technology Adoption
• Agricultural Supply Chain
• Health Risks, Food Security, and Food Safety
• Economics of Pesticides
• Economics of Space: Interaction of Urban and Rural Sectors
• Climate Change and Agriculture
• Epilogue: Sustainable Development
• Appendices:
  • Elements of Optimization Theory
  • Problem Sets
  • Solutions to Selected Problem Sets
• Index

Readership: Professors and lecturers, and advanced degree students in agricultural economics, policy, and related fields; researchers focused on agricultural policy, environmental issues, and sustainability; government officials and policymakers involved in agricultural and environmental policy; Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on issues related to food security, land conservation, and climate change.