This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

The role of agriculture in development: implications for Sub-Saharan Africa

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Diao, Xinshen
Hazell, Peter
Resnick, Danielle
Thurlow, James

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

"This paper provides a nuanced perspective on debates about the potential for Africa's smallholder agriculture to stimulate growth and alleviate poverty in an increasingly integrated world. In particular, the paper synthesizes both the traditional theoretical literature on agriculture's role in the development process and discusses more recent literature that remains skeptical about agriculture's development potential for Africa. In order to examine in greater detail the relevance for Africa of both the “old” and “new” literatures on agriculture, the paper provides a typology of African countries based on their stage of development, agricultural conditions, natural resources, and geographic location... More broadly, the paper demonstrates that conventional theory on the role of agriculture in the early stage of development remains relevant to Africa. While the continent does face new and different challenges than those encountered by Asian and Latin American countries during their successful transformations, most African countries cannot significantly reduce poverty, increase per capita incomes, and transform into modern economies without focusing on agricultural development." from Authors' Abstract

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/dsgdp29.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in its series DSGD discussion papers with number 29.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:fpr:dsgddp:29

Contact details of provider:
Postal: 2033 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-862-5600
Fax: 202-467-4439
Email:
Web page: http://www.ifpri.org/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords: Growth-poverty linkages; Smallholders; Poverty alleviation; Agricultural development Africa; Agriculture Economic aspects; Ethiopia; Ghana; Rwanda; Uganda; Zambia;

Other versions of this item:

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports: References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. David Neven & Thomas Reardon, 2004. "The Rise of Kenyan Supermarkets and the Evolution of their Horticulture Product Procurement Systems," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 22(6), pages 669-699, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Fan, Shenggen & Chan-Kang, Connie & Mukherjee, Anit, 2005. "Rural and urban dynamics and poverty: Evidence from China and India," FCND discussion papers 196, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  3. Kherallah, Mylène & Delgado, Christopher L. & Gabre-Madhin, Eleni Z. & Minot, Nicholas & Johnson, Michael, 2002. "Reforming agricultural markets in Africa," Food policy statements 38, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  4. Vogel, Stephen J, 1994. "Structural Changes in Agriculture: Production Linkages and Agricultural Demand-Led Industrialization," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 136-56, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Vernon W. Ruttan, 2002. "Productivity Growth in World Agriculture: Sources and Constraints," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 16(4), pages 161-184, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Fan, Shenggen & Zhang, Xiaobo & Rao, Neetha, 2004. "Public expenditure, growth, and poverty reduction in rural Uganda," DSGD discussion papers 4, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  7. Huffman, Wallace E., 2001. "Human capital: Education and agriculture," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 7, pages 333-381 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Lopez, J. Humberto, 2004. "Pro-growth, pro-poor : is there a tradeoff?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3378, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  9. Dave D. Weatherspoon & Thomas Reardon, 2003. "The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa: Implications for Agrifood Systems and the Rural Poor," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 21, pages 333-355, 05. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Strauss, John, 1986. "Does Better Nutrition Raise Farm Productivity?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(2), pages 297-320, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan & Morrison, Jamie & Urey, Ian, 2004. "A Policy Agenda for Pro-Poor Agricultural Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 73-89, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Thomas Reardon & C. Peter Timmer & Christopher B. Barrett & Julio BerdeguÈ, 2003. "The Rise of Supermarkets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, American Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1140-1146, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Atkinson, A B, 1997. "Bringing Income Distribution in from the Cold," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(441), pages 297-321, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  14. J.J. Shawa & H. Haantuba & A. Belemu & E. Ngulube & A.K. Banda & J. Govereh & T.S. Jayne & J.J. Nijhoff & B. Zulu, 2002. "Developments in Fertilizer Marketing in Zambia: Commercial Trading, Government Programs, and the Smallholder Farmer," International Development Collaborative Working Papers ZM-FSRP-WP-04, Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. Johnson, Paul & Temple, Jonathan, 1996. "Social Capability and Economic Development," Vassar College Department of Economics Working Paper Series 37, Vassar College Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  16. Alberto Alesina & Roberto Perotti, 1993. "Income Distribution, Political Instability, and Investment," NBER Working Papers 4486, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Thorbecke, Erik & Jung, Hong-Sang, 1996. "A multiplier decomposition method to analyze poverty alleviation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 279-300, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Löfgren, Hans & Harris, Rebecca Lee & Robinson, Sherman, 2001. "A standard computable general equilibrium (CGE) model in GAMS," TMD discussion papers 75, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  19. Paul Collier & Jan Willem Gunning, 1999. "Explaining African Economic Performance," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 64-111, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  20. Ventura, Jaume, 1997. "Growth and Interdependence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 112(1), pages 57-84, February.
  21. Pender, John L. & Jagger, Pamela & Nkonya, Ephraim M. & Sserunkuuma, Dick, 2001. "Development pathways and land management in Uganda: causes and implications," EPTD discussion papers 85, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  22. Abramovitz, Moses, 1986. "Catching Up, Forging Ahead, and Falling Behind," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(02), pages 385-406, June. [Downloadable!]
  23. Haggblade, Steven & Hazell, Peter B. & Brown, James, 1988. "Farm-nonfarm linkages in rural sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  24. Francis Teal & Marcella Vigneri, 2004. "Production Changes In Ghana Cocoa Farming Households Under Market Reforms," Development and Comp Systems 0409062, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  25. Ruttan, Vernon W., 2002. "Productivity Growth In World Agriculture: Sources And Constraints," Staff Papers 14176, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics. [Downloadable!]
  26. Dollar, David & Kraay, Aart, 2002. " Growth Is Good for the Poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 195-225, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  27. Hazell, P. B. R. & Roell, Ailsa, 1983. "Rural growth linkages: household expenditure patterns in Malaysia and Nigeria," Research reports 41, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  28. Shenggen Fan & Xiaobo Zhang & Sherman Robinson, 2003. "Structural Change and Economic Growth in China," Review of Development Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 7(3), pages 360-377, 08. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  29. Delgado, Christopher L, 1992. "Why Domestic Food Prices Matter to Growth Strategy in Semi-open West African Agriculture," Journal of African Economies, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(3), pages 446-71, November.
  30. Robert William Fogel, 1990. "The Conquest of High Mortality and Hunger in Europe and America: Timing and Mechanisms," NBER Historical Working Papers 0016, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  31. Gabre-Madhin, Eleni Z. & Haggblade, Steven, 2003. "Successes in African agriculture," MSSD discussion papers 53, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  32. Rosegrant, Mark W. & Hazell, Peter B. R., 2001. "Transforming the rural Asian economy," 2020 vision briefs 69, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  33. Douglas Gollin & Stephen Parente & Richard Rogerson, 2002. "The Role of Agriculture in Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 160-164, May. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. & Diao, Xinshen, 2007. "Regional disparities in Ghana: Policy options and public investment implications," IFPRI discussion papers 693, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  2. Breisinger, Clemens & Diao, Xinshen, 2008. "Economic transformation in theory and practice: What are the messages for Africa?," IFPRI discussion papers 797, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  3. Zhang, Xiaobo & Rockmore, Marc & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2007. "A typology for vulnerability and agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa:," IFPRI discussion papers 734, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  4. Peter Hazell, 2007. "Transformations in Agriculture and their Implications for Rural Development," The Electronic Journal of Agricultural and Development Economics, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 4(1), pages 47-65. [Downloadable!]
  5. Headey, Derek & Bezemer, Dirk & Hazell, Peter B., 2008. "Agricultural exit problems: Causes and consequences," IFPRI discussion papers 802, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  6. Diao, Xinshen & Fan, Shenggen & Headey, Derek & Johnson, Michael & Nin Pratt, Alejandro & Yu, Bingxin, 2008. "Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions," IFPRI discussion papers 825, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). [Downloadable!]
  7. Bezemer, Dirk & Headey, Derek, 2007. "Agriculture, Development and Urban Bias," MPRA Paper 7026, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? There is a FAQ (frequently asked questions).

This page was last updated on 2009-11-4.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.