This study investigates the gender implications of agricultural sector reform in Kenya. The author focuses on smallholder tea production with the aim of pinpointing the factors that influence the adoption of tea among male and female farmers, assessing female farmers perceptions of the changes in living standards over the research period, and suggesting appropriate policy reforms to ensure that women 's interests are taken into account in the design of agricultural reforms.
This research paper describes the main results from the community of Angyalfold, in Budapest, Hungary. The research is concerned with the strategies adopted by the urban poor to reduce vulnerability and prevent impoverishment during periods of economic stress. This type of study assists policymakers in designing effective locally based solutions that ensure the poor are themselves active agents of growth, rather than passive recipients of compensatory measures. Three features distinguish this study from other poverty studies:a micro-level approach combining households and communities as the main units of analysis, an unusually long period of observation for some communities and households, and a comparative framework offering fours cases with very different economic development levels and institutional contexts. The study concludes with some priority recommendations for action:1) support households in their role as safety net; 2) alleviate constraints on women's labor supply; 3) ensure that social capital is not taken for granted; 4) develop social policy that integrates human capital and social capital; 5) pursue further research; and 6) develop tools and indicators to strengthen the assets of the poor.
Outlines the economic structure of Tanzania, now the fourth poorest country in the world, and the impact of previous policies and current stabilization and adjustment measures on the poorer segments of the population. Examining agriculture, income, poverty, and macroeconomic policy and performance, concludes that official policy has had no major effect on most people. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The field of development economics has evolved since volume 3 of the Handbook of Development Economics was published more than a decade ago. Volume 4 takes stock of some of the newer trends and their implications for research in the field and our understanding of economic development.The handbook is divided into four sections which reflect these developments, of which the first deals with agricultural and rural development. Section two is concerned with developments in the theory and evidence regarding public goods and political economy. The third section is focused on the behavior of households and individuals regarding various aspects of human capital investments, in the face of the various constraints, particularly market incentives and public goods. The final section contains papers that describe the different methods now available, both experimental and non-experimental, to conduct program evaluations, as well as describing papers that implement these methods.The authors of the chapters are all experts in the fields they survey and extend, and this volume promises to be an invaluable addition to the Handbooks in Economics series and a useful reference to graduate students, researchers and professionals in the field of development economics. - Presents an accurate, self-contained survey of the current state of the field - Summarizes the most recent discussions in journals, and elucidates new developments - Although original material is also included, the main aim is the provision of comprehensive and accessible surveys
Bolivia s informal economic sector is the largest in Latin America, and women-owned businesses tend to be overrepresented in the informal sector and to be less profitable than firms in the formal sector. This study seeks to better understand gender-based differences in firms tendencies toward formality, the impact of formality on profits, and the productivity of small informal firms. Using data from firm surveys, national household surveys, and qualitative data from focus groups, the study conducts a gender analysis of formality and productivity in six different sectors in Bolivia. The findings shed new light on how gender-based differences contribute to a firm s decision to become formal and the consequences of this decision for profitability. The outcomes of the study suggest that policies should focus on increasing the productivity and scale of women-owned businesses. Two general priorities emerge: promoting women s access to productive assets to facilitate growth and productivity and providing an enabling environment for women s entrepreneurship by expanding women s choices and capacity to respond to market opportunities.