Agricultural Policies for Poverty Reduction

With more than two-thirds of the worlds poor living in rural areas, higher rural incomes are a pre-requisite for sustained poverty reduction and reduced hunger. This volume sets out a strategy for raising rural incomes which emphasises the creation of diversified rural economies with opportunities within and outside agriculture. Agricultural policies need to be integrated within an overall mix of policies and institutional reforms that facilitate, rather than impede, structural change. By investing in public goods, such as infrastructure and agricultural research, and by building effective social safety nets, governments can limit the role of less efficient policies such as price controls and input subsidies.Table of Content :Executive SummaryAgricultural Policies for Raising Rural Incomes: An IntroductionChapter 1. A Strategic Framework for Strengthening Rural Incomes in Developing Countries-Introduction-Economic development and the structural transformation-Policy responses to structural change-A strategic framework for strengthening rural incomes and facilitating smallholder adjustment-ConclusionsChapter 2. Distributional Impacts of Commodity Prices in Developing Countries-Introduction-Methodology and data-Hypothetical price shocks and illustrative results-Retrospective look at the 2007/8 food price crisis-Prospective look at the 2009-18 period-ConclusionsChapter 3. The Distributional Implications of Agricultural Policies in Developing Countries: Findings from the Development Policy Evaluation Model (DEVPEM)-Introduction-The Development Policy Evaluation Model (DEVPEM)-Agricultural policy simulations with DEVPEM-ConclusionsChapter 4. Stabilisation Policies in Developing Countries after the 2007-08 Food Crisis-Introduction-Economic Environment-Objectives-Policy instruments-Institutional arrangements-ConclusionsChapter 5. The Uuse of Input Subsidies in Low-income Countries-Introduction-Unpicking the arguments: Objectives of the input subsidy programmes-Disadvantages and dangers of input subsidies-Experiences of input subsidies-Design of subsidy programmes-Conclusions