Transforming the Rural Nonfarm Economy : Opportunities and Threats in the Developing World

by Haggblade, Steven; Hazell, Peter B. R.; Reardon, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780801886645
• ISBN10: 0801886643
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-16
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

Contrary to conventional wisdom that equates rural economies with agriculture, rural residents in developing countries often rely heavily on activities other than farming for their income. Indeed, nonfarm work accounts for between one-third and one-half of rural incomes in the developing world. In recent years, accelerating globalization, increasing competition from large businesses, expanding urban markets for rural goods and services, and greater availability of information and communication technology have combined to expose rural nonfarm businesses to new opportunities as well as new risks. By examining these rapid changes in the rural nonfarm economy, international experts explore how the rural nonfarm economy can contribute to overall economic growth in developing countries and how the poor can participate in this rapidly evolving segment of the economy. The authors review an array of recent studies of the rural nonfarm economy in order to summarize existing empirical evidence, explore policy implications, and identify future research priorities. They examine the varied scale, structure, and composition of the rural nonfarm economy, as well as its relationship with agricultural and urban enterprises. And they address key questions about the role of public intervention in the rural nonfarm economy and how the rural poor can participate in and navigate the rapid transition underway in rural areas. The contributors offer new insights to specialists in rural development and to others interested in overall economic development. This book is the product of a joint study by the International Food Policy Research Institute and The World Bank. Contributors: Raisuddin Ahmed, Christopher B. Barrett, Julio Berdegu , Paul A. Dorosh, Steven Haggblade, Peter B. R. Hazell, Eric Hyman, Peter Lanjouw, Carl Liedholm, Donald C. Mead, Richard L. Meyer, Anit Mukherjee, Keijiro Otsuka, Thomas Reardon, Mitch Renkow, Kostas Stamoulis, and Xiaobo Zhang.

Author Biography

Steven Haggblade is a professor of international development at Michigan State University. Peter B. R. Hazell is a visiting professor at Imperial College, London, prior to which he was director of the Development Strategy and Governance Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Thomas Reardon is a professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. xi
List of Tables	p. xiii
List of Boxes	p. xvii
Foreword	p. xix
Acknowledgments	p. xxi
Overview
Introduction	p. 3
Alternative Perceptions of the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 25
Does the Rural Nonfarm Economy Contribute to Poverty Reduction?	p. 55
Dynamics and Linkages
Structural Transformation of the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 83
Enterprise Dynamics in the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 99
Household Income Diversification into Rural Nonfarm Activities	p. 115
Sectoral Growth Linkages between Agriculture and the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 141
Cities, Towns, and the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 183
Global Food Industry Consolidation and Rural Agroindustrialization in Developing Economies	p. 199
The Rural Industrial Transition in East Asia: Influences and Implications	p. 216
Policies and Programs for Promoting the Rural Nonfarm Economy
The Policy and Institutional Environment Affecting the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 237
An Overview of Programs for Promoting the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 254
Contrasting Rural Nonfarm Policies and Performance in China and India: Lessons for the Future	p. 293
Technology as a Motor of Change in the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 322
Subsector Supply Chains: Operational Diagnostics for a Complex Rural Economy	p. 352
Synthesis
Research Perspectives and Prospectives on the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 381
Strategies for Stimulating Equitable Growth in the Rural Nonfarm Economy	p. 396
References	p. 417
Contributors	p. 477
Index	p. 479
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