The paper developes a two-sector model incorporating the relation between debt-servicing capacity... more The paper developes a two-sector model incorporating the relation between debt-servicing capacity and the terms of credit facing the borrowing country. Debt-servicing capacity is reflected via economic variables which are endogenous to the system and thus can be affected by related economic policies. It is shown that optimal growth requires subsidizing of the export sector while simultaneously taxing private borrowing of foreign funds.
Uncertainty is introduced into several components of a simple pest management model. It is shown ... more Uncertainty is introduced into several components of a simple pest management model. It is shown that risk aversion leads to higher quantities of pesticides and to a decline in economic thresholds, implying higher frequency of applications. The reduction of uncertainty via better dissemination of information is thus recommended.
Liability for public service functions beyond the the task of providing the information, ideas, a... more Liability for public service functions beyond the the task of providing the information, ideas, and transfer of agricultural knowledge and information. organization needed to meet food needs? What role * Fiscal sustainability. should governments play in implementing or facilitating * Inadequate interaction with knowledge generators. extension services? Feder, Willett, and Zijp show how various extension Roughly 80 percent of the wvorld's extension is approaches were developed in attempts to overcome the publicly funded and delivered by civil servants, providing challenges of extension: a range of services to the farming population, -Improving extension management. commercial producers, and disadvantaged target groups. -Decentralizing. Budgetary constraints and concerns about performance ' Focusing on single commodities. create pressure to show the payoff on investment in * Providing fee-for-service public extension services. extension and to explore alternatives to publicly * Establishing institutional pluralism. providing it. * Empowering people by using participatory Feder, Willett, and Zijp analyze the challenges facing approaches. policymakers who must decide what role governments Using appropriate media. should play in implementing or facilitating extension Each of the approaches has weaknesses and strengths, services. Focusing on developing country experience, and in their analysis the authors identify the ingredients they identify generic challenges that make it difficult to that show promise. organize extension: Rural people know when something is relevant and * The magnitude of the task. effective. The aspects of agricultural extension services * Dependence on wider policy and other agency that tend to be inherently low cost and build reciprocal, functions. mutually trusting relationships are those most likely to Problems in identifying the cause and effect needed produce commitment, accountability, political support, to enable accountability and to get political support and fiscal sustainability, and the kinds of effective interaction funding. that generate knowledge. This papera joint product of Rural Development, Development Research Group, and the Rural Development Department-is part of a larger effort in the Bank to identify institutional and policy reforms needed to promote sustainable and equitable rural development. Copies of the paper are available free from the World Bank,
Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis,... more Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis, farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training employing a modified "difference-in-differences" model, program emphasizing integrated pest management. Their indicates that the program did not have significant effects evaluation focuses on whether participation in the on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use The authors discuss several plausible explanations for among graduates and their neighbors who may have this outcome and suggest recommendations for gained knowledge from graduates through informal improvements. communications. The authors use panel data covering This paper-a product of Rural Development, Development Research Group-is part of a larger effort in the group to analyze the impact of extension and education approaches. Copies of the paper are available free from the World Bank,
Illegal or unregistered occupation and utilization of public lands characterize the practice of l... more Illegal or unregistered occupation and utilization of public lands characterize the practice of large numbers of farmers in many less-developed countries. Economic theory suggests that, because squatters lack secure land ownership, they will have fewer investment incentives than farmers with secure ownership. Further, because squatters cannot legally use the land as loan collateral, their access to institutional credit, especially medium- and long-term credit, is inhibited. This has negative effects on squatters' ability to invest. Squatters also face short-term institutional credit constraints, implying a low use of variable inputs. Consequently, theory suggests that squatters' land is less productive than titled land.1 One policy frequently adopted with the intention of increasing squatters' productivity is the granting of usufruct rights or similar nontradable entitlements. Such policies are viewed by many policymakers as adequate alternatives to the provision of full, unrestricted ownership. Empirical studies of these issues are scant, and no quantitative assessments of the impact of policy measures addressing squatters have been reported. This article presents the results of a quantitative research focusing on Thailand as a case study. In Thailand, an estimated 5.3 million hectares, or about one-fifth of the land officially designated as state-owned forest reserve, is under permanent occupation and cultivation by squatters. This is about 21% of the land under cultivation and involves about 1 million farm households. Much of the encroached area is suitable for permanent agricultural cultivation, and its continued exploitation poses no substantial environmental risks.
performance? To help answer these questions, this article provides a framework outlining farmers'... more performance? To help answer these questions, this article provides a framework outlining farmers' demand for information, the public goods character of extension services, and the organizational and political attributes affecting the performance of extension systems. This conceptual framework is used to analyze several extension modalities and their likely and actual effectiveness. The analysis highlights the efficiency gains that can come from locally decentralized delivery systems with incentive structures based on largely private provision, although in most poorer countries extension services will remain publicly funded.
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed l POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER 3022 Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis, farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training employing a modified "difference-in-differences " model, program emphasizing integrated pest management. Their indicates that the program did not have significant effects evaluation focuses on whether participation in the on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use The authors discuss several plausible explanations for among graduates and their neighbors who may have this outcome and suggest recommendations for gained knowledge from graduates through informal improvements. communications. The authors use panel data covering This paper-a product of Rural Development, Devel...
This paper reviews the economic implications of an improved land documentation system, utilizing ... more This paper reviews the economic implications of an improved land documentation system, utilizing datajirom rural Thailand. It is shown that not all farmers are aware of the benefits of more accurate documents. In less developed provinces, most farmers perceive improved access to credit as the main advantage qf upgraded land documents. In more developed provinces, the reduction in land disputes is perceived as a main benefit. Econometric analysis shows that the value of land is positively related to the quality of the land document. This indicates substantial social benefits to improved land documentation.
... use on the one hand, and the various benefits that can accrue from adoption of effective IPMs... more ... use on the one hand, and the various benefits that can accrue from adoption of effective IPMstrategies on the ... Risk reduction, Improved biodiversity. ... participants), statistical modeling can be attempted to correct for certain variables (eg, by adding literacy rate into the regression ...
Notices 1 Effective January 2007, the Discussion Paper series within each division and the Direct... more Notices 1 Effective January 2007, the Discussion Paper series within each division and the Director General's Office of IFPRI were merged into one IFPRI-wide Discussion Paper series. The new series begins with number 00689, reflecting the prior publication of 688 discussion papers within the dispersed series. The earlier series are available on IFPRI's website at http://www.ifpri.org/publications/results/taxonomy%3A468. 2 IFPRI Discussion Papers contain preliminary material and research results. They have been peer reviewed, but have not been subject to a formal external review via IFPRI's Publications Review Committee. They are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment; any opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of IFPRI.
The authors are, respectively, staff member and consultants to the World Bank. The paper reports ... more The authors are, respectively, staff member and consultants to the World Bank. The paper reports results of a study sponsored by the World Bank's research program (RPO-673-33). However, the World Bank does not accept responsibility for the views expressed herein which are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the World Bank or to its affiliated organizations. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this document are solely for the convenience of the reader and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Bank or its affiliates concerning the legal status of any country, territory, area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries, or national affiliation. 2-Economic theory suggests that squatters, who lack secure ownership of land, will have less incentives to invest in agricultural activities and in land improvements. Furthermore, b,ecause squatters cannot use their land as a legal loan collateral, their access to institutional credit, especially of medium and long term duration, is inhibited. This constraint negatively affects squatters' ability to invest. Constraints on the availability of shortterm institutional credit also imply lower use of variable inputs. Consequently, theory suggests that squatters' land will be less productive (Chalamwong and Feder, 1986). A detailed study of farm productivity and its relation to land ownership security in three provinces of Thailand confirmed the theoretical propositions stated above: It was confirmed that squatters obtain less institutional credit as compared to farmers whio have legal ownership (Feder et al., 1986). Squatters invest less in land improvements and in capital formation (Feder and Onchan, 1986). The value of output on squatters' land is lower by 12-24 percent as compared to legal owners, holding other factors (such as land quality and experience) constant (Feder, 1986). Since large numbers of Thai farmers and a substantial land area are affected by the problem of insecure ownership, it is an issue of relevance for policy-makers. A significant gain in agricultural productivity can be realized if appropriate policies are adopted to overcome the constraints limiting the productivity of squatters. One particular pollcy which has been implemented in Thailand in recent years is the issuing to squatters in forest reserve areas a document awarding them usufruct rights, subject to certain limitations. These certificates are known by their Thai acronym S.T.K. The rationale behind
This paper utilizes data obtained from recent farmer surveys in China's provinces of Jilin and Ji... more This paper utilizes data obtained from recent farmer surveys in China's provinces of Jilin and Jiangsu to describe credit transactions of agricultural households. The data indicate that while informal credits are significant, they are not profit-motivated, and most are not fungible. The bulk of the fungible credit is provided by institutional sources. In Jilin province, authorities provide ample supply of credit and inputs to agriculture. The majority of farmers there were observed to borrow. In Jiangsu the incidence of borrowing is much lower. However, the extent of unsatisfied demand for credit is highest in Jilin, because inputs are more readily available for purchase in the free market. In the Jiangsu study areas, demand for credit is low because input supplies are limited.
ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of the East Asian financial crisis on farm households i... more ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of the East Asian financial crisis on farm households in two of the region's most affected countries, Indonesia and Thailand, using detailed householdlevel survey data collected before and after the crisis began. Although the nature of the shocks in the two countries were similar, the impact on farmers' income (particularly on distribution) was quite different. In Thailand, poor farmers bore the brunt of the crisis, in part because of their greater reliance on the urban economy, than did poor farmers in Indonesia. Urban-rural links are much weaker in Indonesia. Farmers in both countries, particularly those specializing in export crops, benefited from the currency devaluation. Although there is some evidence that the productivity of the smallest landholders declined over the period in question, it is difficult to attribute this directly to the financial crisis. At least in Thailand, a rural credit crunch does not seem to have materialized
The paper developes a two-sector model incorporating the relation between debt-servicing capacity... more The paper developes a two-sector model incorporating the relation between debt-servicing capacity and the terms of credit facing the borrowing country. Debt-servicing capacity is reflected via economic variables which are endogenous to the system and thus can be affected by related economic policies. It is shown that optimal growth requires subsidizing of the export sector while simultaneously taxing private borrowing of foreign funds.
Uncertainty is introduced into several components of a simple pest management model. It is shown ... more Uncertainty is introduced into several components of a simple pest management model. It is shown that risk aversion leads to higher quantities of pesticides and to a decline in economic thresholds, implying higher frequency of applications. The reduction of uncertainty via better dissemination of information is thus recommended.
Liability for public service functions beyond the the task of providing the information, ideas, a... more Liability for public service functions beyond the the task of providing the information, ideas, and transfer of agricultural knowledge and information. organization needed to meet food needs? What role * Fiscal sustainability. should governments play in implementing or facilitating * Inadequate interaction with knowledge generators. extension services? Feder, Willett, and Zijp show how various extension Roughly 80 percent of the wvorld's extension is approaches were developed in attempts to overcome the publicly funded and delivered by civil servants, providing challenges of extension: a range of services to the farming population, -Improving extension management. commercial producers, and disadvantaged target groups. -Decentralizing. Budgetary constraints and concerns about performance ' Focusing on single commodities. create pressure to show the payoff on investment in * Providing fee-for-service public extension services. extension and to explore alternatives to publicly * Establishing institutional pluralism. providing it. * Empowering people by using participatory Feder, Willett, and Zijp analyze the challenges facing approaches. policymakers who must decide what role governments Using appropriate media. should play in implementing or facilitating extension Each of the approaches has weaknesses and strengths, services. Focusing on developing country experience, and in their analysis the authors identify the ingredients they identify generic challenges that make it difficult to that show promise. organize extension: Rural people know when something is relevant and * The magnitude of the task. effective. The aspects of agricultural extension services * Dependence on wider policy and other agency that tend to be inherently low cost and build reciprocal, functions. mutually trusting relationships are those most likely to Problems in identifying the cause and effect needed produce commitment, accountability, political support, to enable accountability and to get political support and fiscal sustainability, and the kinds of effective interaction funding. that generate knowledge. This papera joint product of Rural Development, Development Research Group, and the Rural Development Department-is part of a larger effort in the Bank to identify institutional and policy reforms needed to promote sustainable and equitable rural development. Copies of the paper are available free from the World Bank,
Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis,... more Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis, farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training employing a modified "difference-in-differences" model, program emphasizing integrated pest management. Their indicates that the program did not have significant effects evaluation focuses on whether participation in the on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use The authors discuss several plausible explanations for among graduates and their neighbors who may have this outcome and suggest recommendations for gained knowledge from graduates through informal improvements. communications. The authors use panel data covering This paper-a product of Rural Development, Development Research Group-is part of a larger effort in the group to analyze the impact of extension and education approaches. Copies of the paper are available free from the World Bank,
Illegal or unregistered occupation and utilization of public lands characterize the practice of l... more Illegal or unregistered occupation and utilization of public lands characterize the practice of large numbers of farmers in many less-developed countries. Economic theory suggests that, because squatters lack secure land ownership, they will have fewer investment incentives than farmers with secure ownership. Further, because squatters cannot legally use the land as loan collateral, their access to institutional credit, especially medium- and long-term credit, is inhibited. This has negative effects on squatters' ability to invest. Squatters also face short-term institutional credit constraints, implying a low use of variable inputs. Consequently, theory suggests that squatters' land is less productive than titled land.1 One policy frequently adopted with the intention of increasing squatters' productivity is the granting of usufruct rights or similar nontradable entitlements. Such policies are viewed by many policymakers as adequate alternatives to the provision of full, unrestricted ownership. Empirical studies of these issues are scant, and no quantitative assessments of the impact of policy measures addressing squatters have been reported. This article presents the results of a quantitative research focusing on Thailand as a case study. In Thailand, an estimated 5.3 million hectares, or about one-fifth of the land officially designated as state-owned forest reserve, is under permanent occupation and cultivation by squatters. This is about 21% of the land under cultivation and involves about 1 million farm households. Much of the encroached area is suitable for permanent agricultural cultivation, and its continued exploitation poses no substantial environmental risks.
performance? To help answer these questions, this article provides a framework outlining farmers'... more performance? To help answer these questions, this article provides a framework outlining farmers' demand for information, the public goods character of extension services, and the organizational and political attributes affecting the performance of extension systems. This conceptual framework is used to analyze several extension modalities and their likely and actual effectiveness. The analysis highlights the efficiency gains that can come from locally decentralized delivery systems with incentive structures based on largely private provision, although in most poorer countries extension services will remain publicly funded.
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed l POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER 3022 Feder, Murgai, and Quizon evaluate the impact of the period 1991-99 in Indonesia. Their analysis, farmer field schools, an intensive participatory training employing a modified "difference-in-differences " model, program emphasizing integrated pest management. Their indicates that the program did not have significant effects evaluation focuses on whether participation in the on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use The authors discuss several plausible explanations for among graduates and their neighbors who may have this outcome and suggest recommendations for gained knowledge from graduates through informal improvements. communications. The authors use panel data covering This paper-a product of Rural Development, Devel...
This paper reviews the economic implications of an improved land documentation system, utilizing ... more This paper reviews the economic implications of an improved land documentation system, utilizing datajirom rural Thailand. It is shown that not all farmers are aware of the benefits of more accurate documents. In less developed provinces, most farmers perceive improved access to credit as the main advantage qf upgraded land documents. In more developed provinces, the reduction in land disputes is perceived as a main benefit. Econometric analysis shows that the value of land is positively related to the quality of the land document. This indicates substantial social benefits to improved land documentation.
... use on the one hand, and the various benefits that can accrue from adoption of effective IPMs... more ... use on the one hand, and the various benefits that can accrue from adoption of effective IPMstrategies on the ... Risk reduction, Improved biodiversity. ... participants), statistical modeling can be attempted to correct for certain variables (eg, by adding literacy rate into the regression ...
Notices 1 Effective January 2007, the Discussion Paper series within each division and the Direct... more Notices 1 Effective January 2007, the Discussion Paper series within each division and the Director General's Office of IFPRI were merged into one IFPRI-wide Discussion Paper series. The new series begins with number 00689, reflecting the prior publication of 688 discussion papers within the dispersed series. The earlier series are available on IFPRI's website at http://www.ifpri.org/publications/results/taxonomy%3A468. 2 IFPRI Discussion Papers contain preliminary material and research results. They have been peer reviewed, but have not been subject to a formal external review via IFPRI's Publications Review Committee. They are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and critical comment; any opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of IFPRI.
The authors are, respectively, staff member and consultants to the World Bank. The paper reports ... more The authors are, respectively, staff member and consultants to the World Bank. The paper reports results of a study sponsored by the World Bank's research program (RPO-673-33). However, the World Bank does not accept responsibility for the views expressed herein which are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the World Bank or to its affiliated organizations. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this document are solely for the convenience of the reader and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Bank or its affiliates concerning the legal status of any country, territory, area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries, or national affiliation. 2-Economic theory suggests that squatters, who lack secure ownership of land, will have less incentives to invest in agricultural activities and in land improvements. Furthermore, b,ecause squatters cannot use their land as a legal loan collateral, their access to institutional credit, especially of medium and long term duration, is inhibited. This constraint negatively affects squatters' ability to invest. Constraints on the availability of shortterm institutional credit also imply lower use of variable inputs. Consequently, theory suggests that squatters' land will be less productive (Chalamwong and Feder, 1986). A detailed study of farm productivity and its relation to land ownership security in three provinces of Thailand confirmed the theoretical propositions stated above: It was confirmed that squatters obtain less institutional credit as compared to farmers whio have legal ownership (Feder et al., 1986). Squatters invest less in land improvements and in capital formation (Feder and Onchan, 1986). The value of output on squatters' land is lower by 12-24 percent as compared to legal owners, holding other factors (such as land quality and experience) constant (Feder, 1986). Since large numbers of Thai farmers and a substantial land area are affected by the problem of insecure ownership, it is an issue of relevance for policy-makers. A significant gain in agricultural productivity can be realized if appropriate policies are adopted to overcome the constraints limiting the productivity of squatters. One particular pollcy which has been implemented in Thailand in recent years is the issuing to squatters in forest reserve areas a document awarding them usufruct rights, subject to certain limitations. These certificates are known by their Thai acronym S.T.K. The rationale behind
This paper utilizes data obtained from recent farmer surveys in China's provinces of Jilin and Ji... more This paper utilizes data obtained from recent farmer surveys in China's provinces of Jilin and Jiangsu to describe credit transactions of agricultural households. The data indicate that while informal credits are significant, they are not profit-motivated, and most are not fungible. The bulk of the fungible credit is provided by institutional sources. In Jilin province, authorities provide ample supply of credit and inputs to agriculture. The majority of farmers there were observed to borrow. In Jiangsu the incidence of borrowing is much lower. However, the extent of unsatisfied demand for credit is highest in Jilin, because inputs are more readily available for purchase in the free market. In the Jiangsu study areas, demand for credit is low because input supplies are limited.
ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of the East Asian financial crisis on farm households i... more ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of the East Asian financial crisis on farm households in two of the region's most affected countries, Indonesia and Thailand, using detailed householdlevel survey data collected before and after the crisis began. Although the nature of the shocks in the two countries were similar, the impact on farmers' income (particularly on distribution) was quite different. In Thailand, poor farmers bore the brunt of the crisis, in part because of their greater reliance on the urban economy, than did poor farmers in Indonesia. Urban-rural links are much weaker in Indonesia. Farmers in both countries, particularly those specializing in export crops, benefited from the currency devaluation. Although there is some evidence that the productivity of the smallest landholders declined over the period in question, it is difficult to attribute this directly to the financial crisis. At least in Thailand, a rural credit crunch does not seem to have materialized
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