Supermarkets, specialized wholesalers, and processors and agro-exporters’ agricultural value chains have begun to transform the marketing channels into which smallholder farmers sell produce in low-income economies. We develop a conceptual framework through which to study contracting between...

Rice is the lifeline of almost 70% of the world's poor residing in Asia,where more than 90% of world rice production and consumption takes place. Ricetrade liberalization therefore has tremendous implications for poverty. The worldrice market is highly distorted, partly because of the high...

This paper brings together existing literature on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRGEA) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, offering a narrative review of the evidence on impacts on food security, health and nutrition of beneficiaries. Both programs...

While government spending on pro-poor community asset creation and income-transfers could have compounding positive effects on poverty reduction, it is important to first study trends in the allocation of funds, particularly as they relate to the susceptibility of the program to political...

Are ostensibly demand-driven public programs less susceptible to political clientelism even when private goods are allocated? This is examined using expenditure data at the local level from India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Current literature on farmer participation in dynamic agri-food supply chains focuses predominantly on one kind of inclusion based on individual farmer characteristics. Relatively less attention has been devoted to spatial selection. This chapter contends that exclusion can often be based on...

This piece analyzes the implications of the National Food Security Act for India's commitments under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) in the context of widespread concern that they might be mutually incompatible. [IGIDR WP-2013-026].