Agriculture Innovation Systems in Asia: Towards Inclusive Rural Development

Lakhwinder Singh; Anita Gill

ISBN 10: 0367146665 / ISBN 13: 9780367146665

Published by Routledge, 2020

About this Item

Hardcover, xxiv + 339 pages, NOT ex-library. Book looks unread, clean and bright throughout with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Minor handling wear. Issued without a dust jacket. -- This collection of essays scrutinizes the growing crisis within Asian agricultural economies, where a historical focus on increasing production has led to the disadvantaging of smallholder farmers, creating financial distress and exclusionary tendencies. It posits that the prevailing linear model of technology transfer is inadequate and often detrimental, causing environmental degradation and failing to serve the needs of smallholders. In its place, the volume advocates for an agriculture innovation system approach - a framework that emphasizes interactive learning between researchers, extension services, and farmers, alongside crucial institutional changes and supportive public policy. The analysis is structured through a series of theoretical and empirical investigations. Early sections explore foundational concepts, including the application of the knowledge economy for sustainable farming, the persistent knowledge gaps in extension services, and the role of interactive learning in plantation crops like rubber and tea. The volume further examines global trends in private agricultural research and the potential of harnessing information and communication technologies to empower farm households, drawing comparative perspectives from India and China. A significant portion of the book focuses on the Indian context, analyzing pathways for sustainable transformation, the impact of institutional innovations such as franchising on smallholder market access, and the link between technology access and livelihood diversification. The book culminates in a detailed examination of the Punjab region - a pioneer of the Green Revolution - dissecting its current challenges from political economy, technological, and social inclusion perspectives, alongside an analysis of Pakistan's national system. Collectively, the chapters argue that overcoming the current agricultural crisis requires a paradigm shift away from a purely productionist mindset. It calls for holistic public policies that foster collaboration, address policy distortions, invest in human capital and appropriate infrastructure, and balance the roles of public and private sectors to build resilient, resource-efficient, and equitable rural economies across Asia.

Seller Inventory # 010220

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Agriculture Innovation Systems in Asia: Towards Inclusive Rural Development
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0367146665
• ISBN 13: 9780367146665
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine

About this title

Synopsis

This book looks at agricultural systems and rural economies in Asia through the prism of alternative innovation systems, alternative public policy and institutional changes.

The massive shifts within the agricultural economy in Asia, geared towards increasing production, has had a direct effect on the livelihood of a large mass of people in rural societies, causing financial and social distress. This book explores a wide range of solutions, such as the role of education, improving technical skills and human capital, along with interactive learning in R&D, harnessing ICTs and institutional innovations, to see how these problems can be alleviated. The volume looks at how these methods can help formulate alternative ways to build sustainable and inclusive agricultural societies, ensure food security, sustainable growth and agricultural productivity.

This book, rich in theoretical and empirical matter, will be useful for academics and researchers interested in agricultural innovation, development studies and agricultural economics. It will also be of interest to policymakers and thinktanks working towards inclusive social development and sustainability in Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

About the Author

Lakhwinder Singh is Professor at the Department of Economics and Founding Coordinator, Centre for Development Economics and Innovation Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, India.

Anita Gill is currently serving as Professor of Economics and Head of the Department of Distance Education, Punjabi University, Patiala, India.