ULYSSES · Understanding and coping with food markets voLatilitY towards more Stable World and EU food SystEmS

The literature published in the last 3 years trying to explain agricultural markets instability during 2007-2009 offers inconclusive results about its causes and impacts. On balance, available scientific evidence gives insufficient guidance for prioritizing policy initiatives, and for effectively averting and mitigating new food crises. Based on an integrated approach, Project ULYSSES seeks to provide general, but sufficiently detailed, responses to the main questions that have been recently posed in the literature and debated in political sphere: a)What are the causes of markets’ volatility increases since 2007?;b)What drivers are volatility-increasing and which others are price level-increasing?; c)How likely is that the main commodity markets will experience new episodes of large volatility?d)To what extent increasing volatility affects agents in the value chain?;e)What are the actual impacts on the most vulnerable households in the EU and in selected developing countries?; f)What policies are more effective to avert and mitigate the effects of markets’ volatility at the EU and international levels?ULYSSES has six objectives:1.Review the literature on prices volatility of food, feed and non-food commodities2.Analyse agricultural markets, using updated data, new methods and markets linkages with a view to determine the causes of markets' volatility3.Identify and evaluate the drivers and factors causing markets volatility, and make projections for supply shocks, demand changes and climate change impacts on agricultural production.4.Evaluate the impact of markets volatility in the food supply chain in the EU and in developing countries, analysing traditional and new instruments to manage price risks.5.Evaluate impacts of markets volatility on households in the EU and developing countries.6.Draw policy-relevant conclusions that help the EU define market management strategies within the CAP after 2013 and inform EU’s standing in the international context.