Political economy and institutions of food policy and development.

The main objective of the Methusalem project is to finance innovative research to reinforce the international standing of the LICOS Research Program on Development and Food Policy, under the direction of Professor Swinnen. The research strategy aims at geographical and methodological innovations of the ongoing research on food policy and development with a particular emphasis on institutions. Geographically, we aim at consolidating our recent extended focus from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to Africa, China and India and broadening comparative analyses. Methodologically, we aim at theoretical innovations-including modelling and theory building with new insights from political and institutional economics-as well as empirical innovations-including the development and use of panel datasets and socio-economic experiments.

Keywords:Food policy

Disciplines:Agriculture, land and farm management, Applied economics