Effective Targeting of Agricultural Policies: Best Practices for Policy Design and Implementation

Agricultural policies are dominated by broad measures such as market price support and general payments to all land, animals or farmers. As a result, it is often difficult to associate a particular policy with any specific objective. Recognising the challenge facing policy makers who wish to design more precisely targeted policies, this study defines the operational characteristics of targeted policies and illustrates best practice with concrete examples. The relationship between target variables and objectives is explored and practical ways to define targets or actions are also examined.Table of Content : Executive Summary The Agricultural Policy Context The Costs and Benefits of Effective Targeting Targeting in OECD Agricultural Policies Implementing Targeted Agricultural Policies: Selected Issues Summary and Best Practices for Effective Targeting of Agricultural Policies Annex 1. An Analytical Framework to Guide Policy Choice: Comparing the Cost of Policies that Have the Same Results Annex 2. What Precision to Achieve Agricultural Landscape Preservation? Bibliography