Principles of Agricultural Economics by David Colman

Principles of Agricultural Economics by David Colman

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.

David Colman is Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Manchester. He is President-Elect of the International Association of Agricultural Economists and a past President of the Agricultural Economics Society in the UK. He has acted as expert advisor to the House of Commons Agriculture Committee on two occasions in relation to the dairy sector policy, and has been an expert witness and advisor in a number of court cases relating to the milk industry. David Colman has undertaken research projects and consulting contracts for various international bodies, including OECD, FAO, WHO, the World Bank, ODA, and the Canadian, Malawian, and Saudi Arabian Governments. He is co-author of textbooks on the Principles of Agricultural Economics, and Economics of Change in Less-Developed Countries. His main areas of research are agricultural supply response, dairy sector policy, price formation, and commodity modelling. Colman, was the Vice-President of IAAE in charge of the programme for the 25th IAAE Conference in Durban.

Nick Vink has been Chair of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa since 1996. He spent 11 years at the Development Bank of Southern Africa as a senior policy analyst for rural and agricultural development issues during South Africa's transition to democracy. His interests include land reform, agricultural policy, structural reform, and small farmer development.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521336642
ISBN 10	0521336643
Title	Principles of Agricultural Economics
Author	David Colman
Series	Wye Studies In Agricultural And Rural Development
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	1989-02-09
Number of pages	336
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.