The main objective of this paper is to examine whether the staple food markets in Africa are efficient. It does so by outlining a conceptual framework for understanding spatial food price variation, summarizing the results from existing studies in market integration in sub-Saharan Africa, and providing evidence from recently conducted surveys on the determinants of market efficiency. The paper is organized following this sequence and concludes with a summary and policy implications.
Details
Title
Are Staple Food Markets in Africa Efficient? Spatial Price Analyses and Beyond
Record Identifier
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/58562
PURL Identifier
http://purl.umn.edu/58562
Total Pages
35
JEL Codes
q11 q13 q18 q17
Note
Paper to be presented at the Comesa policy seminar
“Food price variability: Causes, consequences, and policy options"
on 25-26 January 2010 in Maputo, Mozambique
under the Comesa-MSU-IFPRI African Agricultural Markets Project (AAMP)