Explore
Agricultural Input Subsidies
Ephraim Chirwa and Andrew Dorward
2013
1 Ungluer has
Faved this Work
Login to Fave
Agricultural input subsidies were a major feature of development policies in rural economies until the 1980s. Continuing rural poverty with low productivity and fertilizer use in smallholder staple crops has led to their resurgence in Africa. These subsidies are, however, controversial with claims of both large food security benefits and unsustainable, inefficient resource use. This book reviews current theory and evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of these programmes and the effects of programme context, design, and implementation. Theoretical arguments for agricultural subsidies are based on input promotion where farmers’ private costs (benefits) are higher (lower) than wider economic costs (benefits). These arguments, and concerns about inefficiency and diversion, are reviewed and extended to consider input affordability constraints and ‘smart’ rationing and targeting. Recent programmes in Africa have a variety of generally producer-focused objectives, with varied implementation and programme outcomes. Most pay little attention to consumer interests and potential contributions to wider growth. A detailed examination of Malawi’s controversial agricultural input subsidy programme follows. Drawing on a wide range of information sources, the political and agro-economic contexts of the programme are examined, with evidence on its implementation and impacts from 2005 to 2011. Positive impacts are recorded on beneficiaries’ production, incomes, food consumption, school enrolment, child health, and reduced need for earnings from undertaking casual labour for others. There is evidence of indirect economy-wide impacts, but this is not as strong as might be expected. Targeting and graduation are identified as critically important issues requiring continuing attention.
This book is included in DOAB.
Why read this book? Have your say.
You must be logged in to comment.
ajones
Rights Information
Are you the author or publisher of this work? If so, you can claim it as yours by registering as an Unglue.it rights holder.Downloads
This work has been downloaded 687 times via unglue.it ebook links.
- 265 - pdf (CC BY-NC-ND) at OAPEN Library.
Keywords
- Africa
- agricultural development
- agricultural economics
- agricultural policy
- Creative Commons
- creative commons license
- Development economics & emerging economies
- economic growth
- Economics
- Economics, finance, business & management
- fertilizers
- Geographical Qualifiers
- input subsidies
- International Federation of Philosophical Societies
- Maize
- Malawi
- Politics
- Private Sector
- southern Africa
- sub-Saharan Africa
- thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa::1HF Sub-Saharan Africa::1HFM Southern Africa::1HFMM Malawi
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCG Economic growth
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies
- thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVD Agricultural and rural economics