Many fear China's accession to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) will impoverish its rural
people by way of greater import competition in its
agricultural markets. Anderson, Huang, and Ianchovichina
explore that possibility bearing in mind that, even if
producer prices of some (land-intensive) farm products fall,
prices of other (labor-intensive) farm products could rise.
Also, the removal of restrictions on exports of textiles and

The authors evaluate the impact of
farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training
program emphasizing integrated pest management. Their
evaluation focuses on whether participation in the program
has improved yields and reduced pesticide use among
graduates and their neighbors who may have gained knowledge
from graduates through informal communications. The authors
use panel data covering the period 1991-99 in Indonesia.

Forest resources directly contribute to
the livelihoods of 90 percent of the 1.2 billion people
living in extreme poverty and indirectly support the natural
environment that nourishes agriculture and the food supplies
of nearly half the population of the developing world.
Forests also are central to growth in many developing
countries through trade and industrial development. However,
mismanagement of this resource has cost governments revenues

Many developing country governments
discriminate against sectors that export primary
commodities. India, for example, discriminates against
cotton production. Exports of cotton have been restricted by
quotas, and the mill industry has been subject to such
regulations as the obligation to supply hank yarn for Indian
handlooms. These interventions have led to stagnating cotton
yields, rent-seeking activities, manipulation of cotton

The report reviews the macroeconomic
perspectives of Uruguay, focused on its rural development
and natural resources intensive sectors, to form the basis
for expanding agricultural production, and increasing
productivity. It reviews the country's sectoral
composition, exports of natural resource intensive products,
and labor and capital use, as well as the tax burden.
Although agriculture represents less than ten percent of the

The introduction of green revolution
technologies in wheat, and rice production in Asia, in the
mid 1960s reversed the food crisis, and stimulated rapid
agricultural, and economic growth. But the sustainability of
this intensification strategy is being questioned, in light
of the heavy use of external inputs, and growing evidence of
a slowdown in productivity growth, and degradation of the
resource base. The authors address the critical issue of

The study reviews Niger's water
resources, and planning process, through its short- and
medium-term water investment program, and priorities in the
water supply, and sanitation sector. Critical challenges are
examined for improving its complex water resources
management to support economic growth, given its landlocked
situation, with diffuse, and mostly rural population, and
immense, untapped fossil aquifer supplies. Despite multiple

If states would interact more synergistically with communities, they could tap local energies and resources for development-- and help create a development-oriented society and polity in the process. The authors analyze experience in several countries to identify the actions required for state-community synergies in development. Two actions that seem especially important: 1) Broadening the distribution of power within communities, to facilitate collective action and reduce the potential for local capture.

Economic development has brought about,
the decline in contribution of the agricultural sector to
the economy of Sri Lanka, and, consistent with this economic
transformation, the structure of employment also changed.
Thus, as labor migrates away from agriculture, the
productivity, for those who remain in the land, needs to
increase significantly. This report examines the constraints
to promoting more rapid agricultural, and rural non-farm

Vietnam's ethnic minorities, who tend to
live mostly in remote rural areas, typically have lower
living standards than the ethnic majority. How much is this
because of differences in economic characteristics (such as
education levels and land) rather than low returns to
characteristics? Is there a self-reinforcing culture of
poverty in the minority groups, reflecting patterns of past
discrimination? The authors find that differences in levels

This review aims to provide the
Government of Madagascar with a situation assessment and
insights and guidance on how to position the rural and
environment sector as an engine for inclusive and
sustainable economic growth. The review has cast the
analytical net quite widely with the aim to come up with a
comprehensive overview of the sector. In view of the
intimate linkages between rural development and the

The Government of Ghana's program
to develop a gender strategy has been supported by the World
Bank. This article is based on a Bank-assisted sector study,
Ghana: gender analysis and policymaking for development. The
Bank team worked closely with Ghanaian Ministries of
Agriculture, Micro-finance, Education, and Health to
identify gender issues and study feasible recommendations.
Along with the government, a broad range of stakeholders