Transformation Of Rural Economy Research Articles

Path dependence, resilience and the evolution of new rural economies: Perspectives from rural Western Australia

This paper draws on the emerging field of evolutionary economic geography to offer insights into the transformation of rural economies. In particular, it focuses on the concepts of path dependence and resilience, and the ways in which these help to explain change within four case study local areas in rural Western Australia. The paper draws on recent advances in dynamic econometrics to examine the ways in the major economic shock of the late 1980s and early 1990s restructuring process ‘unlocked’ these local economies from existing development pathways and reshaped their trajectories. The paper finds that while common trends were evident across the four case study areas, the ways in which they responded and recovered from the shock were quite different reflecting the diverse ways in which multiscalar processes play out across rural space economies.

The Influence of Socio-Economic Factors in the Transformation of Rural Economies in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Lessons from Turkana County in Northern Kenya

This paper identifies socio-economic factors that influence transformation in Turkana County. The study adopted a descriptive survey that targeted a population of 1000 households and 8 key informants. Simple random sampling was used to select 100 respondents at household level. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants. Questionnaires and an interview guide were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics like correlation and multivariate regression were used to check for relationships. Results indicate that majority of people in the region are pastoralists and that there has been no feasible change in their living standards despite the presence of community development projects. The findings further show that there is a high relationship between economic investment, living standards, anti poverty projects, governance and transformation of rural economies both at the zero order level and at the multiple regression stage.

Rural Youth Access to Arable Land in Ethiopia: The Case of Arsi Negele of Oromiya Region

Access to land is also an important issue for the majority of Ethiopian people who, one way or the other, depend on agricultural production for their income and subsistence. Historically, as in contemporary Ethiopia, the issue of rural land is primarily a political or social question. (Samuel, 2006). With the growing population of the youth access to land is becoming crucial national issue to Ethiopia. Rural youth are a productive age group in rural society. Their engagement in agriculture can contribute a lot in enhancing productivity rural economy. However, the challenges of accessing to arable land are limiting the full participation of rural youth in agricultural productivity and transformation of rural economy. This study examines challenges of access to arable land by rural youth. It explores land access mechanisms used by rural youth, opportunities, challenges and problems they faced in accessing arable land in rural areas. The study focused on rural youth and involves their family head for the sake of full information on issue related to land and their family members. About 142 households those who have youth members were selected through probability proportional to size sampling method. Concerned officials at district level were also participated in giving information on current situation of arable land access and rural youth. The study revealed that large family size, high price of rental land, socio-cultural factors, small land size hold by their family, and informal agreement with land owners are the major challenges affecting arable land access in the study area. It was recommended that beside agricultural activities it is better to create; other options of economic activities, awareness on harmful traditional practices that leads to large family size, reconsider rural land policy in relation to youth.

Toward energy and livelihoods security in Africa: Smallholder production and processing of bioenergy as a strategy

Abstract The past few years have seen a phenomenal rise in the production and consumption of biofuels and biodiesel at the global level. This development is of special significance to Africa, where about 550 million people (75% of the total population in Sub‐Saharan Africa) depend on traditional biomass (wood, charcoal, cow dung, etc.) and lack access to electricity or any kind of modern energy service. Derived from plants and agricultural crops, biofuels and biodiesel represent modern forms of bioenergy and more efficient use of biomass energy. Beyond efficiency, modern bioenergy offers tremendous opportunities to meet growing household energy demands, increase income, reduce poverty, and mitigate environmental degradation. In the African setting, energy and livelihoods security are indeed inseparable. This paper argues economic, social, and environmental benefits of modern bioenergy can be realized through a strategy that centres on smallholder production and processing schemes and pursuit of a livelihood approach to energy development. Such a scheme opens up new domestic markets, generates new cash incomes, improves social wellbeing, enhances new technology adoption, and lays the ground for rural economic transformation and sustainable land use. The paper concludes by underlining the vital importance of considering sound property rights and strategic planning of sustainable development as tools for sustainable energy and livelihoods security.

On Peasants into Farmers? The Transformation of Rural Economy and Society in the Low Countries (Middle Ages - 19th Century) in Light of the Brenner Debate, edited by P. Hoppenbrouwers & J.L. Van Zanden

On Peasants into Farmers? The Transformation of Rural Economy and Society in the Low Countries (Middle Ages - 19th Century) in Light of the Brenner Debate, edited by P. Hoppenbrouwers & J.L. Van Zanden

Peasants into Farmers? The Transformation of Rural Economy and Society in the Low Countries (Middle Ages–19th Century) in Light of the Brenner Debate. Edited by Peter Hoppenbrouwers and Jan Luiten van Zanden. Turnhout: Brepols, 2001. Pp. 338. EU 61.97, paper.

The volume collects the revised proceedings of a conference held in 1994 to discuss Robert Brenner's views on the “transition from feudalism to capitalism” in the Low Coun-tries c.1350–1550, a topic that was largely ignored by the original “Brenner debate” published in Past and Present between 1976 and 1982. The 1994 papers are topped and tailed by a substantial editorial introduction and by additional essays by the editors, Jan de Vries, and Brenner himself.

Peasants into Farmers? The Transformation of Rural Economy and Society in the Low Countries (Middle Ages-19th Century) in Light of the Brenner Debate

Peasants into Farmers? The Transformation of Rural Economy and Society in the Low Countries (Middle Ages-19th Century) in Light of the Brenner Debate

Risky Business: Economic Uncertainty, Market Reforms and Female Livelihoods in Northeast Ghana

This article examines the implications of economic uncertainty for rural markets and the livelihoods of female traders. It does so through a case study of a community in northern Ghana caught in the throes of a structural adjustment‐driven privatization initiative. In order to fully comprehend the nature of the economic uncertainties in which rural economic actors are enmeshed and the manner in which they resist, engage or engender these conditions, two theoretical lenses are interposed. One, focusing on structural dissolution and an overall process of rural, and especially female, disempowerment, is drawn from recent approaches to African political economy. The other, gleaned from the field of economic anthropology, attends to the agency and knowledge of rural entrepreneurs in the face of unstable and imperfect market conditions. By bringing together these different analytic traditions, the critical significance of uncertainty within the complex process of rural economic transformation and reproduction becomes evident. Rather than functioning as a diagnostic of economic crisis and insecurity, uncertainty can be a strategic resource integral to the constitution of markets, livelihoods and economic coalitions. Such a perspective, privileging the institutional potentials of local social practice, makes apparent the forceful role played by female traders in the structuring of rural marketing systems even in the face of externally‐induced and sometimes dramatic shifts in material conditions.

Rural development and financial markets in Romania

In the transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy, such as in Romania, the domestic financial market plays two important roles. First, the financial market itself must be fundamentally restructured. Second, its efficient functioning is a crucial precondition for economic transformation. In transition economies, however, financial market institutions tend to concentrate their services on urban or larger rural enterprises. So far, small rural enterprises, even those with profitable investment plans, often do not have access to the financial market. This paper briefly characterizes the key issues of agricultural production units and their institutional environment and analyzes the depth and the efficiency of rural finance and its effect on Romania's rural economic transformation. It concludes with policy and institutional recommendations to strengthen rural finance.

Indian Agricultural Development since Independence. M. L. DantwalaThe State and Rural Economic Transformation: The Case of Punjab, 1950-1985. C. K. Chada

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsIndian Agricultural Development since Independence. M. L. Dantwala The State and Rural Economic Transformation: The Case of Punjab, 1950-1985. C. K. Chada Walter C. NealeWalter C. Neale Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Economic Development and Cultural Change Volume 38, Number 3Apr., 1990 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/451823 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1990 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Class, Ethnicity and Democracy in Nigeria: the Failure of the First Republic. By Larry Diamond Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria: The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic. By Richard A. Joseph The Nigerian State: Political Economy, State, Class and Political System in the Post‐Colonial Era. By William D. Graf The State and Rural Economic Transformation: the Case of the Punjab 1950–1985. By G. K. Chadha Popular Struggles in South Africa. Edited by William Cobbett and Robin Cohen After Apartheid: Renewal of the South African Economy. Edited by John Suckling and Landeg White The Enterprise Initiative ‐ Promoting Growth in Developing Countries. By Peter Young India's International Payments Imbalances. By Neela Mukherjee Poverty, Policy, and Food Security in Southern Africa. Edited by Coralie Bryant The Gene Hunters: Biotechnology and the Scramble for Seeds. By Calestous Juma Squandering Eden: Africa at the Edge. By Mort Rosenblum and Doug Williamson Preventing Famine: Policies and Prospects for Africa. By Donald Curtis, Michael Hubbard and Andrew Shepherd Project Monitoring and Evaluation in Agriculture. By Dennis J. Casley and Krishna Kumar The Collection, Analysis, and Use of Monitoring and Evaluation Data. By Dennis J. Casley and Krishna Kumar Democracy in Developing Countries, Volume Two: Africa. Edited by Larry Diamond, Juan J. Linz and Seymour Martin Lipset Practical Economics for the Real Economist. By Peter Bowbrick Organizing Development Through Participation. Co‐operative Organization and Services for Land Settlement. By Liam E. Pickett Women, Development and Change: The Third World Experience. Edited by M. Francis Abraham and P. Subhadra Abraham A Home Divided: Women and Income in the Third World, Edited by D. Dwyer and J. Bruce The Political Economy of Chinese Socialism. By Mark Selden World Resources, 1988–89, World Resources Institute

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article: The International Grain Trade: Problems and Prospects. By Nick Butler The State and Rural Economic Transformation: The Case of Punjab 1950–85. By G. K. Chadha The Harvest of Sorrow. By Robert Conquest Agriculture: People and Policies. Edited by Graham Cox, Philip Lowe and Michael Winter The Green Revolution Revisited: Critique and Alternatives. Edited by Bernhard Glaeser The Industrialization of the Countryside. Edited by Michael J. Healey and Brian W. Ilbery Land at the Centre: Choices in a Fast Changing World. By John C. Holliday Dynamic Programming: Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources. By John O. S. Kennedy Accelerating Food Production in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Edited by J. W. Mellor, C. L. Delgado and M. J. Blackie American Green Power. By Alain Revel and Christophe Riboud. Translated by Edward W. Tanner