Food Security

William A. Kerr, University Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

‘Food security is often talked about but very little understood. Kerr clearly explains its characteristics and its importance as a policy issue. He delves deeply and succinctly into the economics of food security and touches on the politics to good effect, By reading this book those interested in the topic will gain an in-depth understanding of the subject’s complexities as well as having a great many simplistic views and myths exposed.’

• Contents: Preface 1. The three pillars of food security – availability, adequate income and increasing productivity PART I AVAILABILITY 2. Famine – failed food security 3. Hardship – the toll of rising prices 4. Local – the myth of self-sufficiency 5. Trade – its central role in availability 6. Food aid – the last resort 7. Man-made crises – war, conflict and food as a weapon PART II ADEQUATE INCOME 8. Poverty policy – food policy versus incomes policy 9. Price policies – the perils of keeping food prices low 10. Food entitlements – stamps and other targeted policies 11. Food deserts – food poverty amongst plenty 12. Food banks – the limits of food charity 13. Directly raising incomes – does reducing poverty lead to food security? PART III INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY 14. The race against time – escaping the Malthusian trap 15. Climate change – the changing geography of food security 16. Science for tomorrow – the long lags in productivity enhancement 17. Can we bet on ‘big science’? – science is only a necessarycondition 18. Social science and increasing productivity – lessons from the Green Revolution 19. Financing investments in productivity – the need fora mixed strategy PART IV WILL THERE BE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY IN 2050? 20. The challenge of 2050 – will the nine billion all be seatedwith food in front of them? Index