Written for a first course in economics, this text presents the principles of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Realizing that what was once "farm policy" is now "resource, agriculture and food" policy set in an international setting, the authors provide a source which encompasses the numerous recent developments and trends in this ever-changing field. Specifically developed to present the full range of basic economic theory, illustrated through examples from resource, agriculture and food issues, this text provides students with a solid foundation upon which they can build and move on to more advanced work in economics, agricultural economics and related courses in agricultural and allied disciplines. The text provides a strong focus on the international context of agriculture, presenting international examples throughout to remind students of the scope of agriculture and the pervasiveness of the economic approach to the problem.