Cereals Sector Reform in the Former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe

In most countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), cereals production constitutes a major proportion of agricultural sector output, and expenditure on cereals products represents a significant component of total household expenditure. Perhaps for these very reasons, cereals sector reform in many countries has tended to lag behind that of other sectors within agriculture, and of the liberalisation process in general. This lack of reform has prevented the countries of the region from realising the full productive potential of their cereals industries and threatens to undermine food security. This book is based on a workshop on cereals sector reform and food security in the Newly Independent States (NIS) and CEE, held in Kiev, Ukraine, in December 1995. It addresses the general issues involved in the reform process and also considers the progress made, and constraints encountered, in specific countries in the region. Earlier chapters consider general features of the reforms, and the later chapters are concerned with country-specific issues. The workshop was held as part of a broader initiative by ICERC to create a framework for cooperation on the critical issues of economic transition in this region: to revitalise trade, to stimulate investment, to increase food production, to develop and conserve resources, and to take effective action on environmental problems.