Commonwealth publication analyses consequences of rising rice prices

With rice prices rising as demand continues to outstrip supply, a new Commonwealth Secretariat publication offers an insight into its potential consequences on poverty and welfare in rice-dependent countries.

Edited by Mohammad Razzaque and Edwin Laurent, ‘Global Rice and Agricultural Trade Liberalisation: Poverty and welfare implications for South Asia’ primarily aims to explore the likely consequences of rice and agricultural trade liberalisation in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

It finds that liberalisation measures such as the withdrawal of domestic support and export subsidies, would trigger price rise in the world market.

Using detailed data and statistical analysis the book shows that if rice prices rise by just about 10 to 12 per cent, Bangladesh – the world’s fourth biggest rice-consuming country where more than 60 per cent of the daily calorie intake is due to rice alone - would see poverty rising by about 1.5 percentage points. With a population of 140 million, this would lead to an additional 400,000 households falling into poverty.

Sri Lanka, another food importing country in the region, will also be affected by price rise, with poor provinces such as Uva and Sabaragamuwa being the most vulnerable according to the findings of the book.

Notwithstanding the current crisis, the Secretariat publication suggests that the distribution of gains from future rice and agricultural trade liberalisation are to be highly skewed across countries - there will be both winners and losers among the developing nations. The book also demonstrates uneven distributional consequences among different social groups within individual countries.

According to the editors, the findings reinforce the role and legitimacy of appropriate and effective domestic policies in mitigating the negative and uneven distributional consequences, and ensuring food security for the most vulnerable segments of the populations in different countries.

HOW TO ORDER

This title can be bought through booksellers or online at http://publications.thecommonwealth.org/global-rice-and-agricultural-trade-liberalisation-452-p.aspx

A full catalogue of Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Foundation publications can be viewed on the website, which provides a secure online buying facility. Orders can also be made through e-mail or by post. Pre-payment is essential. Payment by sterling cheque, international money order, postal order or bank draft must accompany your order.

Payment should be in sterling, drawn on a UK bank and made out to the Commonwealth Secretariat. If you require the order form as an attachment in Word format please e-mail the Publications Section (see address below). Post and packaging charges should be added to every order in the following way: UK orders: 15 per cent of order value (minimum charge £2.00). Non-UK orders: 25 per cent of order value (minimum charge £3.50).

Send orders to: Publications Section, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6534; Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081; E-mail: publications@commonwealth.int

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