The Role of Agricultural Growth in South Asian Countries and the Affordability of Food: An Inter-country Analysis

Agriculture is the mainstay of the most developing countries, which supplies food and employment to the majority of the population. Because of the dominance of the agricultural sector, a sufficient supply of domestic food is indispensable to support stable socio-economic and political systems in these countries. To attain a sustained growth of agricultural productivity, sufficient investment in the agricultural sector is crucial, particularly in the initial stages of economic development. This increases agricultural production and as a result, there is a shift in (human) resources from the agricultural sector to the industrial and services sectors. According to Duranton (1998), in order to transform from agricultural sector to industrial sector a significant increase in the agricultural sector productivity is necessary. On the demand-side, the growth in agricultural production increases agricultural income which leads to increase in the demand for industrial products; whereas on the supplyside, the increase in the agricultural productivity shifts human resources from the agricultural to the industrial sector [Jorgenson (1967)]. Economists have further explained these interdependences and linkages between agricultural and industrial sectors. According to Kaldor’s (1978) two-sector model, agricultural and industrial sectors supply inputs to each other and provide market for their outputs but differ in a number of ways. The agricultural sector has disguised unemployment and produces consumer goods for competitive markets, while industrial sector produces investment goods which are sold in imperfectly competitive markets at mark-up prices.

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2013

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. This report: 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states; 2) provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and 3) examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

Innovations in the Agricultural Sector

The aim of this paper is to show the impact and significance of innovation in agriculture. Its economic development takes place when innovation solutions based on knowledge and modern technologies are implemented and intensified. Innovations in agriculture encompass a number of operational fields: resource management, soil protection, cultivation processes, biodiversity protection, ecological cultivation and production of bioenergy. The demand for agricultural innovations in different localities may vary, therefore there is a need to bring together the local requirements through utilisation of a multitude of possibilities in a variety of ways, adjustment adaption capability and conditions of a particular rural environment. There is also a need to emphasise the strong integration of innovations in agriculture with other sectors of the economy, which is translated into the acquisition of new solutions and the introduction of innovations that encourage adjustment and the capability to cooperate as well as the application of modern technologies in the economy. Innovative activities that solve problems become the main stimulant to a dynamic economy in agriculture, allowing the most beneficial implementation of its potential. This article has been divided into three parts, in the first, the author conducts a theoretical deliberation on the agricultural sector. The second part presents the conditions for innovation processes in this sector and the third, ‘Innovative tendencies in the development of agriculture’, includes the areas of innovative change in agriculture.Preparation and printing funded by the National Agency for Research and Development under project “Kreator Innowacyjności – wparcie dla Przedsiębiorczości akademickiej

IS AGRICULTURAL SECTOR GROWTH A PRECONDITION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH? THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA

In this paper a simple growth model is adapted to explain the effect of the agricultural sectors' growth on the non-agricultural sector. The empirical results suggest that for a 1% growth in the agricultural sector, the non-agricultural sector responds by more than 1%. The results also confirm that productivity difference exists, the non-agricultural sector being more efficient in terms of input use. The empirical results support the argument of President T. Mbeki, that South Africa should follow an "agricultural-led" growth strategy for successful development.International Development,

Institutions, policy reforms and efficiency in new member states from Centraland Eastern Europe

This paper investigates determinants of agricultural sector efficiency in ten new member states (NMS-10) of the European Union (EU) from Central and Eastern European countries by the non-parametric method Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the panel data analysis. The agricultural sector efficiency varies between the NMS-10. We have found positive and significant association of the agricultural sector efficiency with the natural agricultural factor endowments, average farm size, farm specialization, small-scale farms, and the EU integration process. The foreign direct investments have an ambiguous affect, while the nominal assistance rate is not found significant. Reform and institutional developments and liberalization are associated with the agricultural sector efficiency positively, and vice versa infrastructure development and agricultural policy reforms, which have caused job flows and agricultural employment adjustments. The urban-rural income gap with job flows and agricultural labour adjustments have caused the agricultural sector efficiency positively. --agricultural efficiency,institutions,policy reforms

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2012

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. This report: 1) compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states, the Southeastern region of the United States, and the nation; 2) provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and 3) examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

Economic Contribution of Agriculture and Food to Arkansas\u27 Gross Domestic Product 1997-2011

Agricultural production, processing, and retail industries are major contributors to the Arkansas economy in terms of GDP. Agriculture contributes to the economy through direct agricultural production, value-added processing, and agricultural retail activities, and it also plays an important role through its interactions with other sectors. The use of non-agricultural goods and services as inputs into the agricultural sector promotes diversified growth in Arkansas’ economy; thus agriculture remains a vital part of Arkansas’ economy. Part 1 of the report compares the relative size of the Agriculture and Food Sector in Arkansas with those of neighboring states, the Southeastern region of the United States, and the nation; provides an overview of Arkansas’ economy and discusses Arkansas’ agricultural sector in relation to the state economy; and examines components of agricultural production and processing, including a review of historical sales trends for raw and processed agricultural output

Is UK agriculture sustainable? Environmentally adjusted economic accounts for UK agriculture

Agricultural sectors in most advanced economies have come under severe criticism for lacking the characteristics of 'sustainability'. What is usually meant is that a combination of subsidies and modern farming methods is producing an economically and environmentally non-viable agricultural sector. Using economic valuation techniques, and adjusting for prevailing subsidies, we seek to re-estimate the contribution that the agricultural sector made to the UK economy in the year 1998. The sector is markedly smaller if adjustments are made for subsidies. But these subsidies allow the sector to be a generator of both substantial environmental benefits, and also of extensive environmental damages

A Profile of the North West Province: Demographics, Poverty, Income, Inequality and Unemployment from 2000 till 2007

The North West agricultural sector is a dynamic and livelihood sustainable sector. Approximately 2.6% of the North West value added gross domestic product comes through agriculture and 1.7% of the population in the North West is working in this sector. There is thus a need for macro-economic research in order to investigate potential and current challenges and opportunities to ensure growth in agricultural industries. This paper examines several of these challenges namely demographic compositions, unemployment, income distribution, poverty and inequality. It will provide results from the Labour Force Surveys from 2000 until 2007 with a more in-depth look into 2007. Population and labour force statistics provide the foundation for further analysis. This paper indicates that unemployment is being dominated by the African individuals and that employment in the North West agricultural sector is on a decreasing trend. It shows further that income distribution is highly skewed which leads to high levels of poverty and inequality. Agricultural incomes are lowest across all races compared to non-agricultural incomes. Poverty is extremely high for African workers in the North West agricultural sector but has decreased since 2000. One of the principal concerns is that of inequality. It shows no improvement since 2000 with a high in-between race inequality and lower within race inequality in the North West agricultural sector. Throughout the report the North West agricultural sector is compared to the non-agricultural sector, North West overall and South Africa for a better understanding of the North West agricultural sector’s position. This report indicates that the North West agricultural sector could benefit from intervention and support to correct the present state of decreasing employment, low income, and high poverty and inequality levels.Demographic Trends and Forecasts, Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure, Agricultural Labor Markets, Food Security and Poverty, Labor and Human Capital, J11, J21, J43,

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS IN CHINESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This study examined the interdependency between Chinese agricultural and industrial sectors. A dual economic model was developed to investigate the relationship between the two sectors and factors affecting Chinese economic development. The study reveals traditional inputs, such as labor, are still important to Chinese economic development. Capital investment contributed significantly to the growth of the Chinese industrial sector, but not to the agricultural sector. The results also suggest that foreign trade has made a significant contribution to Chinese economic development. It was found that the growth of the Chinese agricultural sector depends on its industrial growth, but the growth of the Chinese industrial sector does not rely on the agricultural growth.Chinese economic development, dual economy, growth model, agricultural sector, industrial sector, foreign trade, International Development,