Agriculture, Growth and Social Protection

What difference does agriculture make?

This theme contains some of the central questions to be addressed by the consortium. At its core is the question of whether agriculture can generate sustained, poverty reducing economic growth.

Among the questions that the consortium will be tackling under this theme are:

• Agricultural prosperity: who made it, and why? (including decomposing agricultural growth and linking to disaggregated poverty impacts through analysis of African and Asian cases)
• What type of farming (large/small, cash/food crop, etc.) gives the best returns for who?
• What basic conditions are necessary to get thing moving (infrastructure, land reform, water, services)?
• What can be done when agriculture fails and productive growth is not an option
• What difference do globalisation and structural changes in agri-food systems make to any suggested solutions?

Further Reading

'Institutions and Economic Policies for Pro-Poor Agricultural Growth', Andrew Dorward et al. November 2004, IFPRI and Imperial College London.

Shared growth in Africa 21-22 July 2005 International conference organized by ISSER/ Cornell University / world Bank / DFID / USAID

This conference looked at what policy and intervention mix has the best opportunity for delivering shared growth in Africa. Conference papers are available for download.