Transforming Agrarian Economies : Opportunities Seized, Opportunities Missed

The world's 58 poorest countries are diverse in many respects, but they share the characteristic of a labor force overwhelmingly dependent on agriculture. Challenging the assumption that mass poverty and chronic hunger are insoluble problems, this book systematically explores the multiple aspects of economic development in these countries, which are home to 60 percent of the world's population. The authors offer a broad-based development strategy to raise incomes through agricultural productivity growth and expanded rural employment. They present rich new information on the rural informal sector and on agriculture-industry interactions, and they analyze the impact of macroeconomic and social policies on the rural economy. Policy instruments aimed at bringing about broad-based development are carefully assessed from fiscal policy to development of hew seeds and farm implements. The book includes detailed case studies of countries that have seized—or missed—development opportunities. Comparison of the successful economic transformations of Japan and the United States shows how key ideas, which the authors call strategic notions, have enabled policymakers to act with foresight. Analyses of strategic choices in China, the Soviet Union, Taiwan, Mexico, Kenya, and Tanzania also show how development strategies that emerge from the real-world political economy reflect a mix of individual interests and strategic notions. Cover -- Contents -- List of Boxes -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part 1: The Rural Economy in the Development Process -- 1. Poverty and the Rural Economy -- Low Productivity and Rural Poverty -- Hazards, Diversity, and Household Strategies -- Rural Political Economy -- 2. Structural Transformation -- The Process of Structural Transformation -- Institutional Aspects of Structural Transformation -- Technical Change and Productivity Growth -- Elements of Social Change -- How Structural Transformation Shapes Agricultural Development -- Policy Implications of Structural Transformation -- 3. Japan, the United States, and Structural Transformation -- Japan and the United States as CARLs -- Agricultural Change in the United States -- Agricultural Change in Japan -- Agricultural Productivity Growth -- The Political Economy of Agricultural Development -- Implications for Today's CARLs -- Part 2: From Structure to Strategy -- 4. Small Farms in a Broad-Based Agricultural Strategy -- The Balance of Land and Labor in CARLs -- Strategic Notions about Small Farms -- The Economics of Farm Size -- Technological Change in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa -- Efficiency, Equity, and Technological Change -- Choosing the Path of Productivity Growth -- 5. Agricultural Strategies and Agrarian Structure -- Inequitable Land Distribution -- Advantages of Unimodal Agrarian Structure -- The "Six I's" of Agricultural Strategy -- Limitations of Agricultural Development Strategy -- Hard to Achieve, Easy to Lose -- 6. Links between Agriculture and Industry -- An Overview -- Adapting Technology to Factor Endowments -- The Rural Nonfarm Economy: The Key Link -- Farm Equipment: A Strategic Linkage -- Nourishing Linkages -- 7. Fertilizer Production: Strategic Pitfall? -- An Overview -- Technology -- Comparative Advantage: The Evidence, 1950-70 Comparative Advantage: The Evidence, 1970-90 -- The Political Economy of Fertilizer Investment -- Why CARLs Should Import Fertilizer -- 8. Fiscal Balance and Social Program Priorities -- Economic Stability as a Public Good -- Priorities for Social Programs -- Which "Growth-Oriented" Strategy? -- Part 3: Choices and Consequences -- 9. China and the Soviet Union -- Collectivization of Soviet Agriculture -- China's Evolving Strategy -- Lessons from China and the USSR -- 10. Taiwan and Mexico -- Structural Transformation and Population Growth -- Taiwan: The Japanese Pattern Repeated -- Mexico: Missed Opportunities -- Political Economy: Similarities and Contrasts -- Lessons from Taiwan and Mexico -- 11. Kenya and Tanzania -- Tanzania: High Hopes, Dismal Outcomes -- Kenya: Success and Failure -- The Political Economy of Kenya and Tanzania -- Will Tanzania Overtake Kenya? -- 12. Getting Priorities Right -- Forces Shaping Strategy -- Strategic Notions and Opportunity Seeking -- Strategy and Structural Transformation -- The Right Priorities -- References -- Index of Names -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z -- Index of Subjects -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Z "The world's 58 poorest countries share the characteristic of a labor force overwhelmingly dependent on agriculture. Challenging the assumption that mass poverty and chronic hunger are unsolvable problems, this book systematically explores the multiple aspects of economic development in these countries, which are home to 60 percent of the world's population." "The authors offer a broad-based development strategy to raise incomes through agricultural productivity growth and expanded rural employment. They present rich new information on the rural informal sector and on agriculture-industry interactions, and they analyze the impact of macroeconomic and social policies on the rural economy. Policy instruments aimed at bringing about broad-based development are carefully assessed - from fiscal policy to development of new seeds and farm implements." "The book includes detailed case studies of countries that have seized - or missed - development opportunities."--Jacket CONTENTS LIST OF BOXES PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION Part 1: The Rural Economy in the Development Process CHAPTER ONE. POVERTY AND THE RURAL ECONOMY CHAPTER TWO. STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION CHAPTER THREE. JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES, AND STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION PART TWO: FROM STRUCTURE TO STRATEGY CHAPTER FOUR. SMALL FARMS IN A BROAD-BASED AGRICULTURAL STRATEGY CHAPTER FIVE. AGRICULTURAL STRATEGIES AND AGRARIAN STRUCTURE CHAPTER SIX. LINKS BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY CHAPTER SEVEN. FERTILIZER PRODUCTION: STRATEGIC PITFALL? CHAPTER EIGHT. FISCAL BALANCE AND SOCIAL PROGRAM PRIORITIES PART THREE: CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER NINE. CHINA AND THE SOVIET UNION CHAPTER TEN. TAIWAN AND MEXICO CHAPTER ELEVEN. KENYA AND TANZANIA CHAPTER TWELVE. GETTING PRIORITIES RIGHT REFERENCES INDEX OF NAMES INDEX OF SUBJECTS