UCLA

Food prices are an important component of the food security equation. Stable prices promote food security, whereas price instability and volatility can contribute to and exacerbate food crises. Understanding market integration, or the co-movement of prices between different markets, can therefore provide important insights into food security and threats to it. The value of a geographic perspective is illustrated through an examination of market integration with spatial analysis. Results from an analysis of the 2004/5 food crisis in Niger indicate that market integration in Niger tends to be local and deteriorates rapidly during shocks or periods of crisis.