Food prices & economics

By: Tyler Cowen

As our global population grows to nine billion and beyond and agricultural productivity slows, another Green Revolution propelled by agricultural innovations will become imperative.

Food prices have been rising, contributing to political unrest. Countries are stockpiling foodstuffs; and when prices spike, governments shut down food exports with the goal of feeding their populations.

The global trade network isn't as robust as we have wanted to believe...This is a book about food and eating, but it's not just a book about food and eating. Broader issues are at stake. Our attitudes toward food have a lot to do with our attitudes toward life and ourselves....

As an economist, I see food as the result of capitalist supply and demand. Whether it's the restaurant or the supermarket or the kitchen-supply shop, it's hard to think of a sector that is more commercialised and more replete with entrepreneurship and innovation.

If we care about food, we have to care about economic reasoning. The idea of this book is that knowing some dry scientific economics helps make every meal count and helps you realise that a lot of the best food is cheap rather than expensive.

Throughout, to find better eating, I will use this economic principle: Food is a product of economic supply and demand, so try to figure out where the supplies are fresh, the suppliers are creative, and the demanders are informed.

From ‘An Economist Gets Lunch’