The Economics of Food and Agricultural Markets - 2nd Edition

Reviewed by Jebaraj Asirvatham, Associate Professor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale on 3/20/26, updated 3/23/26

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

All undergraduate-level farm policies are covered, with examples relevant to agriculture in general.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I didn't redo every math and graph, but generally, these are well worked out and easy to follow. The intro makes it clear that this is an intermediate microeconomics level, so students or instructors should expect some familiarity with calculus. I would suggest mentioning that this would be a good upper-level undergrad course or policy-level applied economics grad course.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Covers most commonly implemented government policies and observed firm strategies.

Clarity rating: 4

I would give a 4.5 score. The formula and calculations would be much easier if the equation format were used. Right now, most are in a single line, which makes it difficult to visualize and work through quickly, especially for UG students. A few graphs would benefit from using colors to clarify area designation, similar to Fig. 4.2. For example, Figure 3.14 shows area A, but it could be colored to cover the entire rectangle. Also, MR is the inner line, but it could be confusing between A and MR, particularly to a UG student.

Chapter 2 on welfare analysis would benefit from a table that lays out the key differences among policies. For example, a column header on govt controls could have different keywords for each scenario. Govt controls price or output or...

Consistency rating: 5

The author is consistent in their presentation of ideas, math, and graphs. The flow and structure are consistent throughout the text.

Modularity rating: 5

I would score 4.5. Here too, I'd give 4.5. The author should mix numbers and letters to list section, subsection, sub-subsection, and sub-sub-subsection. For example, 1.1.1.2 - does not look pretty. ;)

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I really like the organization, especially because organizing various policies and topics in agricultural and applied economics is quite challenging. The author has done an excellent job that would make it easier for instructors to designate specific chapters for specific topics.

Interface rating: 5

[I'm guessing 5 is good and 1 is bad].
A figure and its caption should be on the same page. I think the graphs should always use the same font.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Easy to read and the text flows well.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

It was good to see a neutral discussion of immigration and its relationship with or impact on the farm. This topic can't be avoided, and a dispassionate discussion is needed.

If you are an educator seeking a textbook, specifically for agriculture policy and marketing, that offers robust discussions, clear diagrams, and a precise mathematical exposition, look no further. This encompasses the most often implemented policies and offers precise, thorough, and pragmatic examples. It also offers a dispassionate discussion on immigration and its importance to agriculture, a hot-button topic. An introductory overview of game theory provides a solid understanding of the basic scenarios relevant to agriculture. The chapter sections and subsections are straightforward to designate, facilitating the progressive presentation of topics for a course. I believe the content can be covered over two semesters, with materials covered in one building upon that of the other.

Reviewed by Jean-Baptiste Tondji, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 4/24/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The textbook summarizes some key essential economic topics for an intermediate microeconomic theory. In addition to the theory, applications are provided. The author couples theoretical analyses, graphics and real-world examples to simplify the understanding of the tools to students and practionners.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The contents of all chapters in the textbook are well-written and presented without any stand on the issues.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The theories the author displays in the textbook are standard in the field. Applications come either from the author or adaptation of real-world cases. Instructor can easily use other examples to discuss the materials presented in the textbook.

Clarity rating: 5

All chapters in the textbook are presented in a simple and neutral tone. The contents are lucid, accessible, and provide context for examples and applications.

Consistency rating: 4

The author is consistent with the framework throughout the textbook. Most contents are in black and white, and colors are only used for specific highlights. This facilitates the reading and accessibility of all contents in the textbook.

Modularity rating: 5

All chapters are well organized and all themes and subthemes are readiliy divisible into sections and subsections throughout the textbook. Without much difficulty, the contents of the textbook can be reorganized without confusing readers.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The contents of all chapters are well organized and presented in a logical and clear style.

Interface rating: 5

The textbook is free of significant interface issues. All graphics are well displayed and easily readable. All texts are contextual and meaningful.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The texts are free of significant mechanical and technical errors. All contents have been proofreaded and are easily accessible to all native and non-native English speakers.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The author does an excellent job of presenting all content inclusively. The tone is neutral without any normative stand.

I provide b elow some comments that may be beneficial for the next edition. In addition to the first two chapters of the textbook, students and instructors would benefit from more cases and examples related to the economics of food and agricultural markets, as the title indicates. In Chapter 6 (Game Theory), it may be appropriate to label payoff matrices as tables instead of figures. In reading real-world examples, the readers would benefit from additional references that the author uses to discuss examples in each chapter in the textbook.