Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience

Agricultural input subsidies were a major feature of development policies in rural economies until the 1980s. Continuing rural poverty with low productivity and fertilizer use in smallholder staple crops has led to their resurgence in Africa. These subsidies are, however, controversial with claims o...

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主要な著者: Chirwa, Ephraim, Dorward, Andrew
フォーマット: Online
言語:英語
出版事項: Oxford University Press 2021
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オンライン・アクセス:455811
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author Chirwa, Ephraim
Dorward, Andrew
author_browse Chirwa, Ephraim
Dorward, Andrew
author_facet Chirwa, Ephraim
Dorward, Andrew
author_sort Chirwa, Ephraim
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Agricultural input subsidies were a major feature of development policies in rural economies until the 1980s. Continuing rural poverty with low productivity and fertilizer use in smallholder staple crops has led to their resurgence in Africa. These subsidies are, however, controversial with claims of both large food security benefits and unsustainable, inefficient resource use. This book reviews current theory and evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of these programmes and the effects of programme context, design, and implementation. Theoretical arguments for agricultural subsidies are based on input promotion where farmers’ private costs (benefits) are higher (lower) than wider economic costs (benefits). These arguments, and concerns about inefficiency and diversion, are reviewed and extended to consider input affordability constraints and ‘smart’ rationing and targeting. Recent programmes in Africa have a variety of generally producer-focused objectives, with varied implementation and programme outcomes. Most pay little attention to consumer interests and potential contributions to wider growth. A detailed examination of Malawi’s controversial agricultural input subsidy programme follows. Drawing on a wide range of information sources, the political and agro-economic contexts of the programme are examined, with evidence on its implementation and impacts from 2005 to 2011. Positive impacts are recorded on beneficiaries’ production, incomes, food consumption, school enrolment, child health, and reduced need for earnings from undertaking casual labour for others. There is evidence of indirect economy-wide impacts, but this is not as strong as might be expected. Targeting and graduation are identified as critically important issues requiring continuing attention.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-397062025-02-13T12:41:20Z Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience Chirwa, Ephraim Dorward, Andrew politics africa input subsidies malawi agricultural development agricultural policy fertilizers Creative Commons Creative Commons license International Federation of Philosophical Societies Maize Private sector thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa::1HF Sub-Saharan Africa::1HFM Southern Africa::1HFMM Malawi thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCG Economic growth thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVD Agricultural and rural economics Agricultural input subsidies were a major feature of development policies in rural economies until the 1980s. Continuing rural poverty with low productivity and fertilizer use in smallholder staple crops has led to their resurgence in Africa. These subsidies are, however, controversial with claims of both large food security benefits and unsustainable, inefficient resource use. This book reviews current theory and evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of these programmes and the effects of programme context, design, and implementation. Theoretical arguments for agricultural subsidies are based on input promotion where farmers’ private costs (benefits) are higher (lower) than wider economic costs (benefits). These arguments, and concerns about inefficiency and diversion, are reviewed and extended to consider input affordability constraints and ‘smart’ rationing and targeting. Recent programmes in Africa have a variety of generally producer-focused objectives, with varied implementation and programme outcomes. Most pay little attention to consumer interests and potential contributions to wider growth. A detailed examination of Malawi’s controversial agricultural input subsidy programme follows. Drawing on a wide range of information sources, the political and agro-economic contexts of the programme are examined, with evidence on its implementation and impacts from 2005 to 2011. Positive impacts are recorded on beneficiaries’ production, incomes, food consumption, school enrolment, child health, and reduced need for earnings from undertaking casual labour for others. There is evidence of indirect economy-wide impacts, but this is not as strong as might be expected. Targeting and graduation are identified as critically important issues requiring continuing attention. 2021-02-10T12:58:18Z 2013-12-31 23:55:55 2018-10-03 09:09:28 2020-04-01T14:57:38Z 2013 book 455811 OCN: 868923920 http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/33836 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/39706 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg n/a n/a n/a https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33836/1/455811.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33836/1/455811.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/33836/1/455811.pdf Oxford University Press 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199683529.001.0001 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199683529.001.0001 db4e319f-ca9f-449a-bcf2-37d7c6f885b1 OAPEN-UK OAPEN-UK 320 open access
spellingShingle politics
africa
input subsidies
malawi
agricultural development
agricultural policy
fertilizers
Creative Commons
Creative Commons license
International Federation of Philosophical Societies
Maize
Private sector
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa::1HF Sub-Saharan Africa::1HFM Southern Africa::1HFMM Malawi
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCG Economic growth
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVD Agricultural and rural economics
Chirwa, Ephraim
Dorward, Andrew
Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title_full Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title_fullStr Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title_full_unstemmed Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title_short Agricultural Input Subsidies: The Recent Malawi Experience
title_sort agricultural input subsidies the recent malawi experience
topic politics
africa
input subsidies
malawi
agricultural development
agricultural policy
fertilizers
Creative Commons
Creative Commons license
International Federation of Philosophical Societies
Maize
Private sector
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa::1HF Sub-Saharan Africa::1HFM Southern Africa::1HFMM Malawi
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCG Economic growth
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVD Agricultural and rural economics
topic_facet politics
africa
input subsidies
malawi
agricultural development
agricultural policy
fertilizers
Creative Commons
Creative Commons license
International Federation of Philosophical Societies
Maize
Private sector
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa::1HF Sub-Saharan Africa::1HFM Southern Africa::1HFMM Malawi
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCG Economic growth
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCM Development economics and emerging economies
thema EDItEUR::K Economics, Finance, Business and Management::KC Economics::KCV Economics of specific sectors::KCVD Agricultural and rural economics
url 455811
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