The report argues that Nicaragua's
best hope for sustained growth, and poverty reduction,
probably lies with agricultural exports, which have the
potential to gain from opportunities in world markets.
Despite the small share of farmland devoted to the
production of exports (25 percent of harvested area), the
total trade of agricultural goods (including the value of
both imports, and exports) accounted for almost eighty five

This study was designed to go below the
radar of Zambia's macroeconomic developments to examine
trends, constraints, and opportunities in specific economic
subsectors. It sought to build upon existing and planned
analyses within the country in order to better understand:
1) the underlying bases for competitive advantage and
disadvantage in the evolving Zambian economy; 2) the likely
sustainability of those patterns of economic diversification

What drives growth at the microeconomic
level? The authors divide the factors that determine a
location's growth performance into two groups,
"1st advantage" and "2nd advantage." The
term 1st advantage refers to the conditions that provide the
environment in which new activities can be profitably
developed, including most of the factors on which
traditional theory has focused, such as access to inputs

Modern fruit sector development in Chile
led to agricultural employment for women, though usually
only as temporary workers and often at a piece rate.
Nonetheless, fruit sector employment offered women access to
income and personal fulfillment previously lacking. The
authors link the fruit sector to improving female and family
economic welfare in rural Chile and changing gender
relations. Using a unique longitudinal data set, they

The study reviews the macroeconomic
developments in the Kyrgyz Republic following the collapse
of the Soviet Union, when adjustments were required since
output fell by fifty percent between 1991-95, resulting in
adverse fiscal consequences, which triggered losses in tax
revenues, along with the implicit end of energy subsidies.
Part I examines the fiscal, and debt sustainability,
proposing a three-fold strategy : efforts for an urgent

The report first reviews macroeconomic
aspects in Ghana, identifying that much of the
non-traditional exports' expansion, reflects sporadic
foreign investments in key agro-processing activities -
which enjoy preferential treatment in European markets -
but, its value-added seems at best marginal, questioning its
sustainability, should preferences be removed. Besides
compliance with a growing number of European Union

This report finalized in March 2001
constitutes a step toward the objective of designing an
integrated strategy for rural poverty reduction in Brazil,
The report contains an updated and more detailed profile of
the rural poor in the northeast (NE) and southeast (SE) of
Brazil; identifies key determinants of rural poverty in
these regions; and proposes a five-pronged strategic
framework in which to couch a set of integrated policies

This report proposes a strategy to
promote growth, and poverty reduction through export
development. It supports the strategic directions of the
Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), stressing
the importance of improving economic governance, and the
environment for investments, for an active participation in
the world economy. The report reviews the performance of
trade policies, and exports in the 1990s; discusses the new

The study outlines the socioeconomic
development strategy for Vietnam, during the first decade of
the twenty first century, envisaging sustainable economic
development, to rapidly adjust to social stability, while
maintaining cultural, and traditional ties. The aim is to
become a socialist market economy, fully integrated into the
global economy, internationally competitive, with
characteristics of an industrialized, and knowledge-based

The report reviews basic growth, as
being one of four pillars for Nicaragua's poverty
reduction strategy. The well-being of the rural poor will
continue its dependence on - to a great extent -
agriculture. The study analyzes main agricultural
development aspects, and stipulates the broad basic growth
may be enhanced by strengthening agricultural
competitiveness. Yet, export growth is key to economic

This report reviews growth trends in
Armenia for the period 1994-2000, outlines major weaknesses
of existing development patterns, and suggests a package of
policy recommendations designed to accelerate enterprise
restructuring, attract investment, and encourage the
creation of new businesses in the medium term (three to five
years). Such steps are needed to systain (and preferably to
increase) the current growth rates, to stop emigration among

Since the early 1990s, Jordan has
initiated efforts toward far-reaching stabilization and
structural reform. The reforms have aimed at laying the
foundations for a reduced role of the state,
private-sector-export-oriented-growth, employment, poverty
reduction, and overall improvement in the welfare of the
population. Due to this intensive effort, inflation has been
reduced, the current account of the balance of payments has