The Rice Economies

The contrast in the rate of growth between Western and Eastern societies since 1800 has caused Asian societies to be characterized as backward and resistant to change, though until 1600 or so certain Asian states were technologically far in advance of Europe. The Rice Economies, drawing on original source materials, examines patterns of technological and social evolution specific to East-Asian wet-rice economies in order to clarfiy some general historical trends in economic development.

The contrast in the rate of growth between Western and Eastern societies since 1800 has caused Asian societies to be characterized as backward and resistant to change, though until 1600 or so certain Asian states were technologically far in advance of Europe. The Rice Economies, drawing on original source materials, examines patterns of technological and social evolution specific to East-Asian wet-rice economies in order to clarfiy some general historical trends in economic development.

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive picture of the role of rice in the food and agricultural sectors of Asian nations.

To millions of people in the world, rice is the center of existence, especially in Asia, where more than 90 percent of the world's rice is grown. This book is about the trends and changes that have occurred in the Asian rice economy since World War II, but particularly since the introduction of new varieties of rice and modern technology in the mid-1960s. Although there is now a vast amount of literature and statistical data on various aspects of the subject, no single comprehensive treatment has previously been prepared. The Rice Economy of Asia not only provides such a treatment but also presents a clear picture of some of the critical issues dealing with productivity and equity --- as a glance at the table of contents will show. In addition to 18 chapters, there are an extensive bibilography, 150 tables, and 50 charts. The volume, as a whole, should be interesting and useful to decisionmakers at national and international levels, to professionals, and to students of development.

In The Nigerian Rice Economy the authors assess three options for reducing this dependency - tariffs and other trade policies; increasing domestic rice production; and improving post-harvest rice processing and marketing - and identify improved production and post-harvest activities as the most promising. These options however, will require substantially increased public investments in a variety of areas, including research and development, basic infrastructure (for example, irrigation, feeder roads, and electricity), and rice milling technologies.

This appendix is a companion volume to the Rice Economy of Asia by Randolph Barker, Robert W. Herdt, with Beth Rose.

Originally published in 1985, Beth Rose’s Appendix to the Rice Economy of Asia provides twenty-six tables detailing various rice statistics across Asia from the beginning of the twentieth century through to the 1980’s. Statistics presented include; total crop area, rice production and yield, import and export, rice prices, farm wages and populations of countries or areas within Asia. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies and Economics.

Challenging conventional Western wisdom, Marks examines the relationship between economic and environmental changes in the imperial Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi (a region historically known as Lingnan, 'South of the Mountains') from 1400 to 1850.