Wages, Prices, and Farm Mechanization in Rural Egypt: The Need for an Integrated Policy

摘要

Policies too often entail unintended consequences because (1) the basis of analysis is only a partial one; (2) decisions are made under political pressures, not by analysis at all; and (3) responses are short-run reactions to crises. Like those of many countries, Egypt's agricultural and food policies are of this partial and piecemeal nature; yet, their consequences on economic growth may be more severe than in other countries because of the pervasiveness of government intervention. What is needed is a better understanding of the interrelatedness of the effects of the various policies that can serve as a basis for an integrated approach to policymaking.