Includes bibliographical references and index.

Why volatility matters / Adam Prakash -- Commodity prices : theoretical and empirical properties / Matthieu Stigler -- Rising vulnerability in the global food system : beyond market fundamentals / Adam Prakash, Christopher L. Gilbert -- Rising vulnerability in the global food system : environmental pressures and climate change / Global Perspectives Unit (FAO) and Natural Resources Department (FAO) -- The nature and determinants of volatility in agricultural prices : an empirical study / Kevin Balcombe -- Emerging linkages between price volatilites in energy and agricultural markets / Stefan Busse, Bernhard Brummer, Rico Ihle -- Grains price pass-through, 2005-09 / Christopher L. Gilbert -- Price transmission and volatility spillovers in food markets / George Rapsomanikis -- The world rice market in 2007-08 / David Dawe, Tom Slayton -- Country responses to turmoil in global food markets / Mulat Demeke, Guendalina Pangrazio, Materne Maetz -- International commodity agreements / Christopher L. Gilbert -- The fallacy of price interventions : a note on price bands and managed tariffs / Brian Wright, Adam Prakash -- The rise of commodity speculation : from villainous to venerable / Ann Berg -- The economics of information and behaviour in explaining excess volatility / Adam Prakash, Matthieu Stigler -- Storage arbitrage and commodity price volatility / Carlo Cafiero, Eugenio Bobenrieth, Juan Bobenrieth -- The role of low stocks in generating volatility and panic / Matthieu Stigler, Adam Prakash -- Global governance : international policy considerations / Panos Konandreas -- Coping with food price surges / Christopher L. Gilbert, Alexandra Tabova -- Using futures and options to manage price volatility in food imports : theory / Alexander Sarris, Piero Conforti, Adam Prakash -- Using risk management tools to manage price volatility in food imports : practice / Morgan Stanley Commodities Group -- The global grain contract : towards a new food security instrument / Ann Berg -- Strengthening global good market monitoring / Jim Greenfield, Abdolreza Abbassian -- Addressing the biofuels problem : food security options for agricultural feedstocks / Brian Wright -- Targeting the most vulnerable : implementing social safety nets / Zoltan Tiba -- Targeting the most vulnerable : implementing emergency reserves and other food security instruments / Agricultural Support Systems Division (FAO) -- Targeting the most vulnerable : implementing input subsidies / Zoltan Tiba -- Investing towards a world free of hunger : lowering vulnerability and enhancing resilience / Josef Schmidhuber, Jelle Bruinsma.

"A timely publication as world leaders deliberate the causes of the latest bouts of food price volatility and search for solutions that address the recent velocity of financial, economic, political, demographic, and climatic change. As a collection compiled from a diverse group of economists, analysts, raders, institutions and policy formulators - comprising multiple methodologies and viewpoints - the book exposes the impact of volatility on global food security, with particular focus on the world's most vulnerable."