This paper considers the impact of the nutritional status on the growth rate of real GDP per capita. In particular, a panel of 114 countries’ Dietary Energy Supply (DES) per capita from 1961 to 1999 is combined with the latest release of real GDP per capita data from the World Bank (World...

While Nicaragua over the past decade has ranked among the poorest countries in Latin America in terms of per capita GDP, data from the last three LSMS surveys (1993, 1998, and 2001) has shown a consistent, though modest, decline in the incidence of poverty. Nationally, the incidence of poverty...

The paper begins with an examination of the importance of overall economic development for food security. In turn it examines the effects on food security of policies that are necessary for economic growth. Given the essential role of agriculture in developing country economies, short-term...

The present study analyzes the nature of Ukrainian farm debt by investigating whether the debt servicing problem of Ukrainian farms is more of a debt problem or a net income problem. Net income generation appears to be the more important underlying problem behind the debt problem. Second, the...

The policy reforms introduced in Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s have induced profound and beneficial changes in the overall productive structure of most Latin American countries, and particularly concerning the increased competitiveness and profitability of some agro-export activities....

This paper contains the main results of a FAO study on staple food prices and real wages in Afghanistan during the period 1996-2002, based on information systematically collected weekly by WFP in all major cities (Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Faizabad). The main...

This study addresses the strategies and the factors of agricultural export performance in Africa compared with other regions, especially Asia. Regarding the figures of agricultural export performance across these regions, the study finds that agricultural export commodities, either primary or...

In this paper, we examine how the design of cash transfer schemes influences household welfare outcomes with particular reference to the influence of transfers on conditioned outcomes, such as schooling, health and investment. We do this by examining two innovative cash transfer schemes...

An agribusiness firm’s choice to expand activities through contract farming rather than plantations, buying directly from open markets or other means reflects differences in transaction costs found in different types of procurement systems. Smallholders may enter contracts to reduce...

This paper aims to provide an overview of issues associated with the economics of food safety in developing countries. It is intended to highlight the major questions and concerns associated with an economic analysis of food safety issues, both generally and specifically in a developing country...