Lessons from a Career in Agricultural Development and Research Evaluation

Abstract

Lessons are presented from a career in evaluating impacts of agricultural technologies and institutions, with a major focus on pest management in developing countries. Agricultural productivity growth is fundamental to economic transformation and development, driven largely by technological and institutional changes. The latter are induced by changes in relative prices and are affected by transactions costs and collective action with implications for efficiency and poverty. Agricultural development leads to changes in farm structure and to many of the most educated existing rural communities. Institutional changes are needed to encourage rural investment and compensate those caught in place-based poverty. Poverty is exacerbated by effects of climate change and pest problems with significant implications for the agenda of agricultural economists.

Developing Sustainable Agriculture Strategies: Turkish Floriculture Case

“…Despite this significant role, agriculture has lost its importance in the literature, although theories about long-term economic development continued to evolve. More recently, the interest in agriculture within the development framework has reappeared mainly due to climate change and food availability issues experienced in the economic, socio-political, and environmental context (Clapp et al, 2018;Loizou et al, 2019;Pawlak and Kołodziejczak, 2020;Norton, 2020). This increasing interest and renewed approaches to agriculture seem to differ from classical views by focusing on sustainability.…”