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Causes of rural economic development

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  • Bruce L. Gardner

Abstract

Underlying factors in the growth of agriculture as a sector and of rural incomes in developing countries are investigated, using data from 85 countries during 1960–2001. Hypotheses about growth are derived from both the general growth literature and the empirical literature on past agricultural growth in the United States and other industrial countries. The growth of agriculture as a sector is surprisingly independent of the growth of income per capita for those who work in that sector. Neither is necessary nor sufficient for the other. Agricultural economics is in many circumstances not the key discipline in understanding the economics of rural income and poverty.

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  • Bruce L. Gardner, 2005. "Causes of rural economic development," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 21-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:32:y:2005:i:s1:p:21-41
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0169-5150.2004.00012.x
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    2. Kimhi, Ayal, 2010. "Does Rural Household Income Depend on Neighboring Communities? Evidence from Israel," Discussion Papers 93134, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management.
    3. Iimi, Atsushi & Smith, James Wilson, 2007. "what is missing between agricultural growth and infrastructure development ? cases of coffee and dairy in Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4411, The World Bank.
    4. Loizou, Efstratios & Karelakis, Christos & Galanopoulos, Konstantinos & Mattas, Konstadinos, 2019. "The role of agriculture as a development tool for a regional economy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 482-490.
    5. Bukenya, James O., 2009. "Employment Growth in the Rural South: Do Sectors Matter?," 2009 Annual Meeting, January 31-February 3, 2009, Atlanta, Georgia 45903, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    6. Azer Efendiev & Pavel Sorokin, 2013. "Research in Social Organization as Factor Affecting Rural Economic Growth in Developing Society: Theoretical and Methodological Challenges," International Journal of Asian Social Science, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 3(10), pages 2236-2245, October.
    7. Bakari, Sayef & Tiba, Sofien, 2020. "Does Agricultural Investment Still Promote Economic Growth in China? Empirical Evidence from ARDL Bounds Testing Model," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 8(4), October.
    8. Ramon Lopez, 2004. "The Structure of Public Expenditures, Agricultural Income and Rural Poverty: Evidence from 10 Latin American countries," Econometric Society 2004 Latin American Meetings 343, Econometric Society.
    9. Lopez, Ramon & Galinato, Gregmar I., 2007. "Should governments stop subsidies to private goods? Evidence from rural Latin America," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(5-6), pages 1071-1094, June.
    10. Kaya, Ozgur & Kaya, Ilker & Gunter, Lewell F., 2008. "The Impact of Agricultural Aid on Agricultural Sector Growth," 2008 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2008, Dallas, Texas 6743, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    11. BΘnΘ, C. & Chijere Asafu, D.G. & Allison, E.H. & Snyder, K., 2012. "Design and implementation of fishery modules in integrated household surveys in developing countries," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 39853, April.
    12. Richard Tiffin & Xavier Irz, 2006. "Is agriculture the engine of growth?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 35(1), pages 79-89, July.
    13. Riccardo Crescenzi & Guido Fabiani, 2007. "Globalisation and convergence of the agro-food systems of the industrial economies," QA - Rivista dell'Associazione Rossi-Doria, Associazione Rossi Doria, issue 2, May.
    14. Lopez, Ramon, 2005. "Why governments should stopnon-social subsidies : measuring their consequences for rural Latin America," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3609, The World Bank.
    15. Allcott, Hunt & Lederman, Daniel & Lopez, Ramon, 2006. "Political institutions, inequality, and agricultural growth : the public expenditure connection," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3902, The World Bank.
    16. Galinato, Gregmar I. & Galinato, Suzette P., 2013. "The short-run and long-run effects of corruption control and political stability on forest cover," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 153-161.
    17. Getahun, Tigabu & Baumüller, Heike & Nigussie, Yalemzewd, 2018. "From agricultural to economic growth: Targeting investments across Africa," Discussion Papers 271153, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    18. Roberto ESPOSTI, 2007. "On the Decline of Agriculture. Evidence from Italian Regions in the Post-WWII Period," Working Papers 300, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.

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