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Barriers to Exit from Subsistence Agriculture

Author

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  • Cadot, Olivier
  • Dutoit, Laure
  • Olarreaga, Marcelo

Abstract

This paper reviews the evidence on the determinants of subsistence agriculture and the barriers that farmers face to switch to market-oriented agriculture. We review a number of recent empirical approaches to the estimation of variable, fixed, and sunk transaction costs, with the weight of the evidence suggesting that those costs are very substantial. Tentative policy implications are drawn in terms of infrastructure and support as well as the organization of intermediation markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Cadot, Olivier & Dutoit, Laure & Olarreaga, Marcelo, 2010. "Barriers to Exit from Subsistence Agriculture," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 1014, CEPREMAP.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpm:docweb:1014
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    File URL: http://www.cepremap.fr/depot/docweb/docweb1014.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Akman, Sait & Brandi, Clara & Dadush, Uri & Draper, Peter & Freytag, Andreas & Kautz, Miriam & Rashish, Peter & Schwarzer, Johannes & Vos, Rob, 2018. "Mitigating the adjustment costs of international trade," Economics Discussion Papers 2018-49, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Brambilla, Irene & Porto, Guido, 2016. "Trade, Poverty Eradication, and the Sustainable Development Goals," ADBI Working Papers 629, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    3. Daniel Lederman & Guido Porto, 2016. "The Price Is Not Always Right: On the Impacts of Commodity Prices on Households (and Countries)," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 31(1), pages 168-197.
    4. World Bank, 2012. "Arab Republic of Egypt - Reshaping Egypt's Economic Geography : Domestic Integration as a Development Platform, Volume 1," World Bank Publications - Reports 11903, The World Bank Group.
    5. World Bank, 2012. "Reshaping Egypt's Economic Geography : Domestic Integration as a Development Platform," World Bank Publications - Reports 11869, The World Bank Group.
    6. repec:ocp:ppaper:pb1819 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Subsistence Agriculture; Transaction Costs;

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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