Technical Change in Agriculture and Land Degradation in Developing Countries: A General Equilibrium Analysis

Abstract

This paper analyzes the role of economic linkages between upland agriculture, lowland agriculture and other sectors in developing economies, and the potential for welfare-enhancing shifts from more to less erosive upland land use patterns. Comparative statics results are obtained from analytical and numerical general equilibrium models. They indicate that the green revolution in lowland agriculture helped alleviate upland land degradation, and that policies aimed at slowing land degradation through technical progress in upland crops may have the opposite of their intended effects. The results highlight the need for integrated policy packages to reduce upland land degradation in developing countries.