A Rice Village Saga

The rice belt of Laguna Province, Philippines (popularly known as the heartland of the Green Revolution for its early adoption of modern rice varieties), has experienced dramatic economic and social changes in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Besides the major advances in new rice technology, four major forces have prompted change: increasing population pressure on limited land; implementation of land reform programs; developments in infrastructure such as irrigation and roads; and penetration of urban economic activities. A unique data set generated from many surveys during the period 1966-97 in a typical village in Laguna, as put together in this book, illustrates a pattern of socio-economic change shared by many irrigated rice areas in the Philippines as well as in other Asian economies.

Volume 3 of this series of the Handbooks in Economics follows on from the previous two volumes by focusing on the fundamental concepts of agricultural economics. The first part of the volume examines the developments in human resources and technology mastery. The second part follows on by considering the processes and impact of invention and innovation in this field. The effects of market forces are examined in the third part, and the volume concludes by analysing the economics of our changing natural resources, including the past effects of climate change.Overall this volume forms a comprehensive and accessible survey of the field of agricultural economics and is recommended reading for anyone with an interest, either academic or professional, in this area. *Part of the renown Handbooks in Economics series*Contributors are leaders of their areas*International in scope and comprehensive in coverage

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myraid of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Volume 94 contains six oustanding reviews and more than 20 color figures. Maintains the highest impact factor among serial publications in Agriculture Presents timely reviews on important agronomy issues Enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in the field

Presents a reinvigorated agenda on agricultural and rural development in Asia both for research and policy discussions in the coming decades.

This book is a state-of-the-art discussion of what has succeeded (and failed) in the design and implementation of projects and institutions to assist the poor in developing country economies. In Africa especially, far too many people are still living under conditions of extreme poverty. The goal of the book is twofold: (1) to identify and assess the key processes through which markets affect the livelihoods of the rural poor; and (2) to propose micro- and macro-level policies and innovations to address the problems of inclusion that arise. Featuring contributions from leading scholars and professionals in the field, this volume is timely to all those involved in designing innovative institutions that transfer capital and technologies to low-income countries facing the challenges of poverty alleviation and economic development. Contents:How Can Financial Markets and Biotechnology Help the Rural Poor? (Ralph D Christy, Mark Wenner, Emelly Mutambatsere and Willene Johnson)Financial Markets and the Poor:Financial Development and Growth: What Role Can Foreign Capital Play? (Eswar Prasad, Ayhan Kose, Kenneth Rogoff and Shang-Jin Wei)The Securitization of Microloans (Vicki L Bogan)A Vision for Scaling Microfinance: More than Dollars and Smarts (Deborah Burand, Esq.)Innovations in Index Insurance for the Poor in Low-Income Countries (Jerry Skees)Biotechnology and the Poor:Overcoming Poverty Through Improved Agricultural Technology (Robert W Herdt)Agricultural Biotechnology in Latin America: Economic Benefits, Regional Capacity, and Policy Options (Greg Traxler)Biotechnology, Agriculture, and Food Security in Southern Africa: Strategic Policy Challenges and Opportunities (Steven Were Omamo and Klaus von Grebmer)Developing Country Options under TRIPS: Choices to Maximize Biotech Transfer (William Lesser and Deepthi Kolady)Foreign Direct Investment:What Matters to African Firms? The Relevance of Perceptions Data (Alan Gelb, Vijaya Ramachandran, Manju Kedia Shah and Ginger Turner)Making the Most out of FDI in Africa (Norbert L W Wilson and Malick Diarrasouba) Readership: Students, researchers and academics in development economics; practitioners involved in poverty alleviation strategies and in transforming developing country economies. Keywords:Financial Markets;Biotechnology;PovertyKey Features:Highlights innovative institutions and strategies of improving access to capital and biotechnology for the poor, with a special focus on AfricaAddresses the global problem of poverty and economic development, and the role the market and technology can play in providing solutions to the problemIncludes contributions from leading academics and practitioners in the field