Que peuvent les marchés ?

Professeur d’Economie — Paris Dauphine

^* Philippe.Chalmin@dauphine.fr

Abstract

What can do the markets? This article examines through the light of current and recent past the contributions and limits of agricultural futures markets. Despite the crisis of agricultural raw materials, the markets seem to have very well played their role. If developed countries must stay under the discipline of markets, despite their tendancy to “irrational exuberance” one must recognize that markets do not ensure the development of poor countries. So, it is necessary to allow those countries to deploy autonomous agricultural policies, which means that they can protect themselves from fluctuations in external markets.