Agricultural distortion patterns since the 1950s: what needs explaining?

摘要: This paper summarizes a new database that sheds light on the impact of trade-related policy developments over past half century distortions to agricultural incentives and thus also consumer prices for food in 75 countries spanning per capita income spectrum. Price support policies advanced economies hurt not only domestic consumers exporters other products but foreign producers traders farm products, they reduce national global economic welfare. On hand, governments many developing have directly taxed their farmers half-century, both (e.g., export taxes) indirectly via overvaluing currency restricting imports manufactures. Thus price facing been depressed by own-country countries' international trade policies. The authors summarize these realted stylized facts can be drawn from World Bank is worthy attention political economy theorists, historians econometricians. These indicators helpful addressing such questions as following: where there still bias against production? To what extent has overshooting sense some developing-country are now being protected import competition along lines examples earlier-industrializing Europe Japan? What forces behind more-successful reformers, how do compare with those less-successful major remain? And explains pattern across industries choice or tax instruments within sector each country?