From this week’s Economic Research Network Professional Announcements and Job Openings email:
The Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI) seeks 1-2 economists to teach courses in development economics and other related areas, for a one year, full-time visiting position at the assistant professor level.
Job Description
Responsibilities include teaching courses in the Master of Public Policy program, advising students on coursework and/or masters’ theses, producing high-quality papers for publication in refereed journals, and participation in the intellectual life of the program.
Job Qualifications
Ph.D. in Economics (or Public Policy) with a specialization in economic development, strong background in quantitative methods, outstanding research experience, and teaching experience. GPPI is an equal opportunity employer; women and minorities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Application Procedure
Qualified candidates should send their detailed CV, plus teaching evaluations (if available), and the names of three references by Thursday, March 24, 2011 to:
Dr. Joseph Ferrara
Associate Dean, GPPI
A Steep Rise in US Food Prices?
An article discussing US food prices in yesterday’s The Telegraph had a slightly alarmist title: “US Food Price Rise Is Steepest in Decades.”
While there is no doubt in my mind that this is the steepest rise in food prices this country has experienced in a long time (since before I was born, in fact), let’s not get carried away. Indeed, the article notes how
“[t]he cost of producing finished foods jumped 3.9 percent last month from a year earlier, as harsh winter weather exacerbated the already increasing price of many basic ingredients used in food. The increase was the steepest since November 1974.”
Oh really?
The cost of food worldwide has gone up 62.4 percent last month from a year earlier (i.e., from 145.3 to 236), according to the statistics provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
I understand that The Telegraph compares the US to itself — love thy country fixed effect — but the article should perhaps have noted how this is a relatively small rise in food prices compared to what is going on elsewhere in the world.