Commodity Market Reforms : Lessons of Two Decades
Structural reform of the economies of developing countries has been in the forefront of development interest since the early 1980s. This interest stems from a recognition that the structures and institutions of these countries are critical to any...
Main Authors: | , , , |
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Format: | Publication |
Language: | English en_US |
Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2013
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2001/03/1047506/commodity-market-reforms-lessons-two-decades http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13852 |
Summary: | Structural reform of the economies of
developing countries has been in the forefront of
development interest since the early 1980s. This interest
stems from a recognition that the structures and
institutions of these countries are critical to any
enhancement of economic and social development. One of the
key reforms has been that of primary commodity markets,
especially agricultural commodity markets, because many
developing countries, including the poorest, depend heavily
on these for foreign exchange earnings and employment, and
hence for poverty reduction. This report focuses on the
political economy and institutional aspects of agricultural
commodity market reform. In order to explore in detail
factors that are critical to the processes, consequences,
and substance of reform, the authors have focused the
analysis and evaluation on five commodities important in
many developing countries, specifically cocoa, coffee,
sugar, cotton, and cereal. In doing so, they highlight
important lessons on how agricultural sector reform can be
launched and implemented. Some of the factors identified in
the report as being key to successful reform include the
recognition that commodity markets often affect communities
and even politics, that the initial conditions of markets
are critical, and that government intervention can crowd out
private sector initiatives, especially when it comes to
building the institutions needed to develop a healthy
agricultural sector. |
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