ABSTRACT

This book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resources and other sectors.

The result is an agricultural economics textbook that provides students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making.

While the primary focus of the book is on microeconomic aspects, agricultural economics has expanded over recent decades to include issues of macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. Hence, these topics are also provided with significant coverage.

chapter 2|28 pages

The economics of production

chapter 3|27 pages

The costs of production

chapter 4|32 pages

Profi t maximization

chapter 5|28 pages

Optimal input selection

chapter 6|16 pages

Optimal output selection

chapter 7|35 pages

Consumer choices

chapter 8|52 pages

Supply and demand

chapter 9|23 pages

Markets

chapter 10|19 pages

The competitive fi rm

chapter 11|21 pages

Market power

chapter 12|14 pages

Agriculture and the global economy

chapter 13|10 pages

Economics, agriculture, and the environment