Food, Agriculture and Rural Development Current and Emerging Issues for Economic Analysis and Policy Research Edited by Kostas G. Stamoulis

THE PRESENT PUBLICATION contains four in-depth reviews on current and emerging issues in the economic analysis of food, agriculture and rural development, written by well-known scholars in the field. The selection of the issues for in-depth review was the result of a survey conducted among FAO staff involved in policy assistance activities in the main developing regions. Thus, the choice reflects their and, by extension, the policy-makers' perception as to the main research priorities in the economic analysis of agriculture, rural development, poverty and food security. A synthesis of the survey results is included as a chapter. The four in-depth reviews concern: (i) new trends in development thinking and implications for agriculture and rural development (by Simon Maxwell and Robin Heber Percy); (ii) causes, characteristics and alleviation strategies for rural poverty, with particular emphasis on Latin America (by Alberto Valdés and Johan A. Mistiaen); (iii) institutions, reform and agricultural performance (by Pranab Bardhan); and (iv) migration and poverty issues (by J. Edward Taylor).

PREFACE  ( 96KB)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  ( 23KB)

SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF THE SURVEY  ( 199KB)
by Franco Viciani, Kostas G. Stamoulis and Alberto Zezza

1. Introduction
2. Poverty, Inequality and Food Insecurity
3. Policy Reforms Affecting Agriculture and Rural Development, and Changes in the Role of the State
4. Globalization and International Trade Liberalization
5. Increasing Agricultural Production: Sustainability and Technology Changes

NEW TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT THINKING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURE  ( 327KB)
by Simon Maxwell and Robin Heber Percy

1. Introduction
2. Deck-clearing: Trends or Discontinuities?
3. Is there a Current Consensus on FARD?
4. Current Themes in Development Thinking?
5. Summary and Conclusions
Acknowledgements
Bibliography

RURAL POVERTY IN LATIN AMERICA: RECENT TRENDS AND NEW CHALLENGES  ( 330KB)
by Alberto Valdés and Johan A. Mistiaen

1. Introduction: Background, Issues and Objectives
2. Trends in Poverty Measurement and Comparisons: What is Poverty and Who is Poor?
3. Rural Poverty Profiling: What Patterns Characterize the Rural Poor?
4. Determinants of Rural Poverty: What Causal Forces Underlie Rural Poverty?
5. Some Key Thematic Rural Poverty Issues
6. Looking Ahead: Emerging Research and Policy Challenges
Acknowledgements
References

INSTITUTIONS, REFORMS AND AGRICULTURAL PERFORMANCE  ( 220KB)
by Pramab Bardhan

1. Introduction: Institutions and Economic Change
2. Institutional Impediments to Gains from Trade
3. Institutional Issues in Land Reform
4. Agricultural and Rural Policy Reform: The Role of Institutions
5. Towards a Research Agenda: Priority Areas for Future
References

MIGRATION: NEW DIMENSIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RURAL POVERTY  ( 226KB)
by J. Edward Taylor

1. Introduction and Executive Summary
2. Overview of Dimensions and Characteristics
3. Internal and International Migration: Theories and Evidence
4. Migration and Rural Poverty, with an Emphasis on Policy Implications
5. An Interactive Approach: Towards a Research Agenda
Acknowledgement
References

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© FAO 2001