| Description |
1 online resource (xvi, 298 pages) : illustrations |
| Contents |
1. Introduction -- Background: challenges in African agricultural development -- Objectives and outline -- Data and methods -- Part I. Background. 2. Agricultural input subsidies: changing theory and practice -- 'Conventional' input subsidies in agricultural development--theory and practice -- Resurgent interest in input subsidies -- Input subsidies' successes, failures, and potential -- Input subsidies' roles and objectives -- Design and implementation features -- Conditions affecting effectiveness -- Rethinking input subsidies: a conceptual framework -- 3. Recent African experience with input subsidies -- Introduction -- Ghana -- Zambia Fertilizer Support Programme and Food Security Pack -- Nigeria -- Tanzania -- Rwanda -- Mali and Senegal -- Millennium Villages -- Overall lessons -- Conclusions from recent experience -- 4. Malawi: political, policy, livelihoods, and market background -- The context -- Politics and policies -- The livelihoods and markets context -- Agricultural policies -- The 2005/6 Agricultural Input Subsidy Programme -- Part II. Implementation and Impacts of the Malawi Programme. 5. FISP activities and achievements -- Programme design and evolution -- Input purchases and distribution -- Coupon distribution -- Coupon redemption -- Diversion and fraud -- Farmer support -- Programme fi nance and costs -- 6. Direct impacts of input subsidies -- Methods of evaluating direct benefi ciary impacts -- Impacts on maize production -- Impact on food consumption -- Impacts on education and health -- Welfare impacts -- Impacts in life stories of beneficiary households -- 7. conomy-wide effects of input subsidies -- Sources of evidence and analytical methods -- Macro-economic environment and role of input subsidies -- Maize exports and imports -- Impacts on maize prices and rural wages -- Other variables -- 8. Impacts on input market development -- Roles of various players in input supply systems -- Overall input purchase and use -- Developments in the fertilizer markets -- Developments in the seed market -- Challenges and opportunities of private sector participation -- 9. Benefi t-cost analysis, 2006/7 to 2010/11 -- Benefi t-cost analysis purposes and principles -- Benefi t-cost analysis methods -- Problems and challenges with benefi t-cost analysis (BCA) of the FISP -- Improving FISP benefi t-cost estimates -- Part III. Strategic issues. 10. Targeting and access to input subsidies -- Targeting at national, district, and benefi ciary levels -- Factors determining access to subsidies -- Gender and use of subsidized inputs -- Challenges of access for the most vulnerable groups -- Options for targeting -- 11. Graduation -- Conceptualizing graduation -- Graduation pathways for the Malawi FarmInput Subsidy Programme -- Programme design and implementation to promote graduation -- 12. Conclusions -- Subsidies' changing theory and practice -- The Malawi experience -- Targeting and graduation -- Sustainability |
| Summary |
"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."--Publisher's description |
| Analysis |
Africa |
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Agricultural development |
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Agricultural policy |
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Fertilizers |
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Input subsidies |
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Malawi |
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Politics |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-288) and index |
| Notes |
English |
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Print version record |
| Subject |
Economic development -- Developing countries
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Agricultural subsidies -- Developing countries
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Economic development -- Malawi
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Agricultural subsidies -- Malawi
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Africa.
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Agricultural economics New.
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Development economics and emerging economies Mod Development economics and emerging economies.
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Economic growth.
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Economics, finance, business and management.
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Economics.
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Malawi.
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Southern Africa.
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Sub-Saharan Africa.
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS -- Industries -- General.
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Agricultural subsidies
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Economic development
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Ackerbau
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Entwicklungsökonomie
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Entwicklungsforschung
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Entwicklungshilfe
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Agrarsubvention.
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Düngemittel.
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Wirkungsanalyse.
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Malawi.
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Developing countries
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Malawi
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Malawi
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| Author |
Dorward, A. (Andrew), author.
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| LC no. |
2013427607 |
| ISBN |
9780191506499 |
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0191506494 |
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9780191763069 |
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0191763063 |
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9780198705819 |
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0198705816 |
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