Heroes, villains and victims: agricultural subsidies and their impacts on food security and poverty reduction

Main author: Dorward, Andrew
Other authors: Morrison, Jamie
Format: Book Chapters           
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id eprints-16754
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Subsidies have been a pervasive feature of agricultural policy in both high and low income countries. This chapter describes different kinds of subsidies and reviews evidence on their economic, food security and poverty impacts. The evidence suggests that different subsidy programmes have had in some contexts profoundly positive and in other contexts profoundly negative impacts on food security and on the livelihoods of poor people and poor societies. Discussions of the historical and potential roles of subsidies and their more recent use have, however, been the victim of an unhealthy over-emphasis on their negative effects without sufficient consideration of the potential to overcome these. These issues need to be addressed if agricultural subsidies are to fulfill their potential to make a significant contribution in addressing continuing and emerging challenges to food insecurity and poverty.
author_additional Robinson, G.
author_additionalStr Robinson, G.
format Book Chapters
author Dorward, Andrew
author_facet Dorward, Andrew
Morrison, Jamie
authorStr Dorward, Andrew
author_letter Dorward, Andrew
author2 Morrison, Jamie
author2Str Morrison, Jamie
title Heroes, villains and victims: agricultural subsidies and their impacts on food security and poverty reduction
publisher Edward Elgar
publishDate 2015
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/16754/