Agriculture and Rural Development in a Globalizing World : Challenges and Opportunities

Rapid structural transformation and urbanization are transforming agriculture and food production in rural areas across the world. This textbook provides a comprehensive review and assessment of the multi-faceted nature of agriculture and rural development, particularly in the developing world, where the greatest challenges occur.

It is designed around five thematic parts: Agricultural Intensification and Technical Change; Political Economy of Agricultural Policies; Community and Rural Institutions; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health; and Future Relevance of International Institutions. Each chapter presents a detailed but accessible review of the literature on the specific topic and discusses the frontiers in research and institutional changes needed as societies adapt to the transformation processes. All authors are eminent scholars with international reputations, who have been actively engaged in the contemporary debates around agricultural development and rural transformation.

Prabhu Pingali is a professor in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, New York, with a joint appointment in the Division of Nutritional Sciences. He is Founding Director of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI).

Gershon Feder is Chair of the Publications Review Committee at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC. Previously he held various positions at the World Bank, most recently Senior Research Manager at the Development Research Group.