Some key presentations from this workshop are now available to view on our Slideshare site – the links are below, under the names in each panel discussion.

Financial Markets and Food Price Volatility: Actors and Actions

Monday 6 February 2012, Institute of Development Studies

09.30-10.00: Registration

Morning sessions: Defining and describing the problem

10.00-10.15: Opening remarks (John Thomson: FAC)

10.15-10.30 Volatility – definitions and key questions (Xavier Cirera: IDS)Presentation: Xavier Cirera: Measuring volatility and its impact

10.30-12.00: Does volatility matter and for whom?

Chair: Stephen Spratt, IDS
Naomi Hussain, IDS
Ruth Kelly, Oxfam Presentation: Naomi Hossain: What FPV means, why it matters and for whom

12.00-12.15: Coffee break

12.15-1.45: Food price volatility – levels and potential market impacts

Chair: Rob Nash, Oxfam
Maximo Torrero, IFPRI
Joerg Mayer, UNCTAD
Chris Gilbert, University of Trento Maximo Torero: Food price volatility – its importance, impacts and proposals to mitigate its consequences Joerg Mayer: Food price volatility: assessing potential market impacts Christopher Gilbert: Financialization and Agricultural Futures Markets

Afternoon sessions: Resolving the problem – technical and policy solutions

2.30-3.00: Defining the options

Stephen Spratt, IDS

3.00-4.30: Proposals to reduce (market related) volatility

Chair: Jim Sumberg, IDS
Christine Haigh, World Development Movement
Brendan Bayley, UK Treasury Presentation: Christine Haigh: Proposals to reduce market-related volatility

4.45-5.30: Open discussion – what, if anything, is to be done?

Chair: Lawrence Haddad, Director, IDS

5.30-5.45: Summary and close

Stephen Spratt, IDS

5.45-7.00: Drinks