Conditional cash transfer programs are now used extensively to encourage poor parents to increase investments in their children's human capital. These programs can be large and expensive, motivating a quest for greater efficiency through increased impact of the programs' imposed conditions on...

Agricultural growth has long been recognized as an important instrument for poverty reduction. Yet, measurements of this relationship are still scarce and not always reliable. The authors present additional evidence at both the sectoral and household levels based on recent data. Results show...

Conditional cash transfer programs are now used extensively to encourage poor parents to increase investments in their children’s human capital. These programs can be large and expensive, motivating a quest for greater efficiency through increased impact of the programs’ imposed conditions...

Agricultural growth has long been recognized as an important instrument for poverty reduction. Yet, measurements of this relationship are still scarce and not always reliable. The authors present additional evidence at both the sectoral and household levels based on recent data. Results show...

This paper examines historically the World Bank's twin features: lending to developing economies to achieve tangible results and advocating specific development policies. Section 1 provides some conceptual underpinnings for the view that an effective state is essential for development. It asks...

The fundamental role of agriculture for development in the 21st century deserves greater attention from governments and international development agencies.

Different approaches toward estimating the effects of agricultural growth on expenditure growth and distribution are explored. The question is how do changes in the sectoral composition of income affect the distribution of expenditures across households within a country. The study finds that...

As the labor force in agriculture grows smaller, displaced rural workers need new options. Effective preparedness of those who leave the farm is a critical part of an overall strategy to mobilize agriculture for development