Managing Agricultural Development in Africa. Structural Adjustment, Agricultural Development and the Poor. Lessons from the Malawian Experience

摘要

The article examines the complex problems faced by an economically well-managed but small, poor, and landlocked country--Malawi--in trying to achieve equitable growth while coping with formidable external shocks. It argues that agricultural and rural sectoral policies will be crucial in determining Malawi's future growth, and explains the reasons why. The lack of supply response is rooted in the historically precarious economic situation of the majority of Malawi's smallholders, and that the adverse impact of higher food and fertilizer prices serves to exacerbate this precariousness and further inhibit economic growth. The paper summarizes the encounter between structural adjustment and Malawi's dualism and the argument that complementary policies are needed for promoting equitable growth. (Copyright (c) 1989 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank.)