Sharma (2005) also found many cases where an import surge occurred even while domestic prices continued to rise, leading him to conclude that imports have been ‘pulled in’ through prior shortfalls in domestic production rather than higher imports causing domestic production to fall. Thus, the consequences of increased imports for food security need to be carefully evaluated before deciding on the appropriate response. During this period, many countries pursued trade and domestic policy responses intended to stabilise domestic markets and protect urban consumers (Abbott, 2009; Jones and Kwiecinski, 2010).