Principles Of Agricultural Economics

This book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resources and other sectors. The result is an agricultural economics textbook that provides students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. While the primary focus of the book is on microeconomic aspects, agricultural economics has expanded over recent decades to include issues of macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. Hence, these topics are also provided with significant coverage.

This textbook addresses the main economic principles required by agricultural economists involved in rural development. The principles of 'micro-economics' or 'price-theory' are of relevance to economists everywhere, but this book reinforces the message of their relevance for rural development by explaining the theory in the specific context of the agricultural and food sectors of developing countries. Hypothetical and actual empirical illustrations drawn almost exclusively from such countries distinguish this book from other economic principles texts that draw their examples almost invariably from industrialised countries, and also from books more oriented to the issue of rural development. The first half of the book deals with the underlying principles of production, supply and demand. These are essential tools for the study and management of the agricultural sector and food markets. In the second half, supply and demand are bought together into a chapter of equilibrium and exchange. This is followed by chapters on trade and the theory of economic welfare. In the final chapter it is shown that much of the material in the earlier chapters can be combined by agricultural economists into a system for analysing and comparing the effects of alternative agricultural policies. The ability of agricultural economics to provide a consistent framework for the analysis of policy problems thus enables it to make a key contribution to rural development.

Principles of Agricultural Economics, now in its second edition, showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resource and other sectors. The field of agricultural economics has expanded to include a wide range of important and interesting topics, including macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. For this new edition, the text has been updated throughout with a new chapter on policy, separate chapters for supply and demand, and increased coverage of key topics and approaches including finance, trade and behavioural economics. Readers will also benefit from an expanded range of case studies which demonstrate real world examples of the principles under discussion. These include obesity, alternative fuels, trade disputes, and animal welfare. The companion website provides students and instructors with extra material in order to enhance their learning and further their understanding of agricultural economics. This book introduces economic principles in a succinct and reader-friendly format, providing students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. The principles are applied to timely, interesting, and important real-world issues through words, graphs, and simple algebra. This book is for students who study agricultural economics, microeconomics, rural development and environmental policy.

Principles of Agricultural Economics, now in its third edition, continues to showcase the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, and agribusiness sectors. This key text introduces economic principles in a succinct and reader-friendly format, providing students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision-making. The field of agricultural economics has expanded to include a wide range of topics and approaches, including macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development, and these are all introduced in this text. For this edition, new and enhanced material on agricultural policies, globalization, welfare analysis, and explanations of the role of government in agriculture and agribusiness is included. Readers will also benefit from an expanded range of case studies and text boxes, including more international cases, which discuss real-world examples and issues, including global hunger, biofuels, trade wars, agritourism, and climate change. This book is ideal for courses on agricultural economics, microeconomics, rural development and environmental policy. The work is fully supported by a Companion Website, which provides users with extra content to enhance their learning and further their understanding of agricultural economics. Additional materials include flash cards, study guides, PowerPoint presentations, multiple choice questions, essay questions, and an instructor's manual.

For courses in Introduction to Agricultural or Applied Economics Introduction to Agricultural Economics provides students with a systematic introduction to the basic economic concepts and issues impacting the U.S. food and fiber industry and offers strong coverage of macroeconomic theory and international trade. Teaching and Learning Experience: Strong coverage of macroeconomics, the role of government, and international agricultural trade: The coverage of macroeconomics and agricultural programs and policies allows students to further understand the domestic market economy. Building block approach: Discusses individual consumer and producer decision-making, market equilibrium and economic welfare conditions, government intervention in agriculture, macroeconomic policy, and international trade. Extensive chapter review: Each chapter contains an extensive list of questions designed to test student comprehension of the material covered. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.

Persistent problems with poverty, rapid population growth and malnutrition in many developing countries are among the most serious issues facing the world today. This book examines the causes, severity and effects of these problems, as well as potential solutions. The authors consider the implications of globalization of goods, services and capital for agriculture, poverty and the environment; and identify linkages in the world food system, stressing how agricultural and economic situations in poor countries affect industrialized nations and vice versa. Focusing on the role that agriculture can play in improving economic and nutritional wellbeing and how that role might be enhanced, this book is essential reading.

Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design, development, and management of sustainable agricultural systems. Agroecological economics, a subsection of agricultural economics, evaluates the ecological consequences of agricultural methods on the economic scale. Agroecological economics considers green engineering as a means of measurement. As the environmental movement unfolds, the importance of biodiversity and long-term sustainability are indisputable. Progress depends on determining the economic viability of terrestrial agroecosystems. What is lacking is the analysis needed to bring biodiverse and sustainable systems to fruition. Agroecological Economics analyzes the current topics that must be addressed in order to provide sustainable agricultural systems. It explains the economics of land-use ecology with emphasis on changing over from a conventional model of agriculture to environmentally- and ecologically-friendly models and the financial incentives that are important to these practices. * Analyzes agricultural solutions with economic testing * Includes a complete analysis of recent biodiversity-based research with valuable new economic methodologies * Provides various applications to mitigate the problems which have economic and ecological effects on agroecosystems * Offers applications of ecologically-sound land-use practices in production and manufacturing

What are the food and agricultural development problems facing Third World nations? Does current economic theory help accelerate growth? Does it foster useful development policies? This book addresses these and other questions to provide a wide-ranging and thorough introduction to the theories, policies, and practices aimed at increasing food production and agricultural development. Individual sections examine recent agricultual prograss in developing nations, including increased production and growing demand; the economic and social theory of agricultural development; and sources of accelerated growth through biochemical and mechanical technologies and improved argicultural institutions. Rural financial markets, cooperatives, and land reform are also examined. Later chapters focus on agricultural research and extention, agricultural marketing, trade, price policies, and planning. A concluding chapter looks at new strategies for accelerating agricultural development. Past decades have seen an explosion of empirical research on Third Wolrd agriculture. This up-to-date, comprehensive overview will interest not only students of agricultural development in the Third World but also professional in government and international organizations.