Changes in Agricultural Markets in Transition Economies

by William M. Liefert and Johan Swinnen

The report examines how economic reform in the transition countries of the former Soviet bloc has transformed the volume and mix of these countries' agricultural production, consumption, and trade. The report concludes that output decline has been an inevitable part of market reform and that the main goal of agricultural policy in the transition countries should not be to return output to pre-reform levels but rather to increase the productivity of input use.

Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, former soviet union, central and eastern European countries, transition economies, agricultural production, livestock sector, food consumption, trade, policy reform, productivity

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Abstract, Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• Summary
• Introduction
• Main Elements of Agricultural Reform in Transition Economies
• How Reform Has Changed Agricultural Production, Consumption, and Trade
• Why Forecasting Studies Underestimated the Decline in Output
• Consumption and Food Security Concerns
• Output Versus Productivity Growth as Reform Performance Indicators
• Conclusion
• References