Agricultural Policy, Agribusiness and Rent-Seeking Behaviour

This book, now in its second edition with two of the original and three new authors, takes on an ambitious task: placing within the broad context of basic theories of welfare economics and political economy, and in the tight context of well-specified economic models, a discussion across three developed countries of a full range of agricultural policy issues, spanning topics from price and income support programmes to food consumption and obesity. More typically, authored texts or edited compendiums cover a broad range of topics for a single country (e.g. around a United States farm bill) or around a specific topic (e.g. potential effects of World Trade Organization negotiations or assessments of environmental policies related to agriculture). There are policy textbooks that have substantial breadth (at least for one country or topic) and are systematic, but mostly are undergraduate-oriented. The Schmitz et al. volume crosses these boundaries that typically define the scope of agricultural policy books. This is one of the many strengths of their book, as well as the cause of a few drawbacks. The book should excite young researchers. It is stimulating and informative for more experienced readers.