The tourism sector and the global economic crisis: development implicatins for the Caribbean

Over the past two years the global economy has experienced substantial economic turmoil, resulting in severe economic contraction. While there has been a recent return to growth, this situation has impacted all economic sectors worldwide. In the highly tourism-dependent region of the Caribbean, the impact of the global economic crisis has been most notable on the tourism sector, which, from the early 1990s, became the key driver of economic growth for the region. The eventual emergence of this sector reflects an economic development history which was previously underpinned by the export of agricultural commodities, and subsequently by the adoption of the import substitution industrialization model as promulgated by Arthur Lewis. This was further stimulated by spectacular economic contraction in Caribbean economies during the 1980s as a result of changes in the global terms of trade for commodities, generally low levels of competitiveness for manufactured goods, as well as weak institutional and governance frameworks. Ultimately, many economies began to reflect fiscal and balance of payments constraints. By the end of the 1990s, too, evidence of declining competitiveness even in the tourism sector began to become apparent particularly when evaluated under the framework of the Butler Tourism Area Life- Cycle (TALC) model. The recent economic crisis, therefore, provides an opportunity to reflect on the overall approach to economic development in the Caribbean, and to assess the implications of the region’s response to the crisis. This analysis makes the case for the future development of the sector to be based on two broad strategies. The first is to deepen the integration of the tourism sector into the broader economy through the diversification of the regional tourism product, as well as the enhancement of linkages with other sectors, while the second is to expand the tourism sector into a total service economy through the introduction of new services. Considering linkages, the development of clusters and value chains to support the tourism sector is identified with respect to agriculture and food, handicraft, and furnishings. Among the new services identified are education, wellness, yachting and boating, financial services, and information and communications technologies (ICT). This overall strategy is deemed to be better suited to the macroeconomic realities of the Caribbean, where high labour costs and other structural rigidities require a high-valued specialty tourism product in order to sustain the sector’s global competitiveness.

The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A Perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2015-2016

In this, the sixth in the series of documents entitled “Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas,” the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) analyze the trends in, and outlook for, the macroeconomic and sectoral contexts, agriculture, rural well-being, and policies and the institutional framework in the sector. The document presents proposals for policies needed to enable the region’s agriculture to regain its former buoyancy and to enhance the development of rural areas. It also includes recommendations designed to mitigate the impact of the economic slowdown in agriculture, spur higher agricultural productivity in the region, foster the integrated management of natural resources, and facilitate the successful incorporation of family farmers, young people, and rural women into agricultural value chains.

A mixed methods inquiry into the political economy of agriculture and rural areas in Lebanon

The present work, then, is concerned with the forgotten elements of the Lebanese economy, agriculture and rural development. It investigates the main problematic which arose from these forgotten components, in particular the structure of the agricultural sector, production technology, income distribution, poverty, food security, territorial development and local livelihood strategies. It will do so using quantitative Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling and a qualitative phenomenological case study analysis, both embedded in a critical review of the historical development of the political economy of Lebanon, and a structural analysis of its economy. The research shows that under-development in Lebanese rural areas is not due to lack of resources, but rather is the consequence of political choices. It further suggests that agriculture – in both its mainstream conventional and its innovative locally initiated forms of production – still represents important potential for inducing economic growth and development. In order to do so, Lebanon has to take full advantage of its human and territorial capital, by developing a rural development strategy based on two parallel sets of actions: one directed toward the support of local rural development initiatives, and the other directed toward intensive form of production. In addition to its economic returns, such a strategy would promote social and political stability.

Linking rural tourism to agriculture. Evidences from comparative case studies in Kosovo, Italy and Spain

Rural tourism has been widely promoted in the European Union as an effective measure counteracting economic and social challenges facing rural areas especially those with declining agriculture economies. Particularly its role is seen in provision and maintenance of public goods which are more and more demanded by the public and considered in the policymaking. In Kosovo, rural tourism has been developed through the support of the international organizations and private sector initiatives, with primary aim to generate additional income for rural households and sustainable management of natural and cultural resources. Anyhow, it could be stated that the use of territorial capital to enhance the quality of the tourist offer and undertake promotion at wider circles of people has not been well explored so far, particularly possible links with agriculture that would satisfy visitors demand. In this regard this research study analyzes involvement of local stakeholders and use of territorial capital to develop tourist offer in rural areas of Kosovo. Beside, study applies comparative approach with other two areas of the European Union, Appennino Bolognese in Italy and Alpujara in Spain, to understand and compare the process of rural tourism development and demand characteristics between Kosovo and these areas. A survey has been conducted in all three study areas with rural tourism visitors to understand their preferences for public and private goods and services when visiting rural areas and the role of agriculture in sustaining rural tourism. Results show that there is a potential to link rural tourism with agriculture in Kosovo, which would help in sustaining agriculture and add additional value to local food products, which in return would enhance the tourist offer and make it more attractive for the visitors but also for the farmers as an additional revenue generating sector.

Sustainable livestock production? Industrial agriculture versus pastoralism

Feeding our growing world population and preserving our natural resource base is a major agricultural challenge set to get harder. Despite agricultural productivity gains in many areas, roughly a billion people continue to suffer from chronic hunger.1 Meanwhile, we will likely add about 2.5 billion people to the planet by 2050.2 Yet providing enough nutrition for current and future generations is entirely possible, if we make the best use of Earth’s finite natural resources, especially arable land. Notably, one agricultural sector – livestock – places excessive demands on our resource base. But this is mainly due to globalized, industrial meat production methods. Tragically, the most sustainable livestock producers – herders and other mobile, smaller-scale livestock keepers – have been marginalized by mainstream agricultural policy for decades. It is high time for a course correction.

Impacts of Technology Adoption: Comparing Returns to the Farming Sector in Maine under Alternative Technology Regimes

This thesis tests if certain technology choices are associated with a reduction in the proportion of farming activities in the agro-food system in Maine. Goodman, Sorj, and Wilkinson define appropriationism as the replacement of farming sector activities by industrial inputs. Based on the concept of appropriationism, industrial fanning systems using large amounts of synthetic inputs contribute less to fanning than more agrarian systems, like organic fanning. Thus, returns to the farming sector should be greater for organic compared with conventional potato fanning in Maine since organic farming uses fewer industrial inputs. Goodman et. al. define substitutionism as the displacement of farming sector commodities and activities by industrial processes in the marketing sector. Based on the concept of substitutionism, returns to the farming sector should be greater for Lay's Classic®™ potato chips made from natural potatoes compared with Baked Lay's®™ potato crisps manufactured from processed dehydrated potatoes. Returns to the farming sector are defined as returns to the farmer or farm family from farming activities, returns to farm labor, and returns to farmers and farm labor producing inputs used on the farm. Results show absolute returns to the farming sector are less for organic compared to conventional tablestock potato farms in Maine. However as a proportion of farm revenues, large organic farms that market at least 25% of their produce to retail stores or directly to consumers do as well as conventional farms. When comparing returns as a proportion of consumer expenditures, these organic farms do better than conventional farms. Returns to the farming sector are less for organic because of yield penalties, cost of marketing services, and diseconomies of size for organic tablestock potato farms. Expanding acreage and reintegrating livestock with cropping systems may increase returns to the fanning sector. Organic farming demonstrates difficulties in providing marketing services at the farm level. Providing marketing services limits the ability to expand production to capture economies of size. Maine organic potato farmers emphasize non-monetary values such as supporting sustainable agriculture, self-sufficiency, the intrinsic value of work, and close community and family connections. Returns to the farming sector as a proportion of consumer expenditures are about three times greater for Lay's Classic®™ potato chips than for Baked Lay's®™ potato crisps, since the value that farmers receive for potatoes used to produce dehydrated potato flakes in one pound of crisps is about half of the value that farmers receive for potatoes used to make one pound of chips. However, this assumes farmers assign a cost to producing low-grade potatoes for dehydration proportionate to their value. Premium potatoes are used to produce potato chips. Low-grade potatoes are used to produce the dehydrated potato flakes used to make potato crisps. Returns to the farming sector are slightly greater for potato crisps if no costs are allocated to producing low-grade potatoes for dehydration. A shift in consumer preferences from potato chips to crisps may result in a geographical shift of potato production from Maine to the Pacific Northwest assuming no food-grade dehydration facilities are built in Maine.

Análisis de la institucionalidad asociada a los procesos de innovación tecnológica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata

La Extensión Rural, como mecanismo para propender al desarrollo rural en la Argentina, ha sido la herramienta por excelencia utilizada por los Estados para lograr objetivos institucionales vinculados a las políticas dominantes. El presente trabajo se propone analizar la institucionalidad asociada a la Extensión Rural y Asistencia Técnica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata luego de la crisis del 2001, como instrumento de apoyo al desarrollo rural. Para ello identifica a los actores del sector público y de la sociedad civil vinculados al proceso de innovación tecnológica que participan en la construcción de una nueva institucionalidad y los enfoques paradigmáticos emergentes, presentes en la agricultura familiar de la región. Se concluye que los cambios institucionales que se están operando, como resultado de una nueva visión de la institucionalidad que se está construyendo, están dando lugar a estrategias de intervención novedosas para la región, siendo cada vez más frecuentes las acciones que operan a favor de la agricultura familiar

Cadenas de valores en el sector agroindustrial en la provincia de San Luis : Industrialzación

En la Provincia de San Luis existen 400.000 hectáreas activas de superficie cultivable con un potencial de 700.000 hectáreas. Los cultivos preponderantes son las oleaginosas, principalmente soja, maíz y girasol. En los últimos años, la provincia se expandió tanto en agricultura como en ganadería: en 2010 el sector ganadería creció un 7; por su parte, la agricultura se encuentra en una transición importante gracias a que los productores han incorporado tecnología que permite el crecimiento en una provincia con un clima muy diferente al de la pampa húmeda. La conjunción de esta circunstancia y de la realización de obras públicas provoca un sinergismo que ha llevado a la expansión del sector productivo. En la cadena de productos agroindustriales, uno de los eslabones principales para agregar valor en origen es la industrialización, con vistas a la posterior comercialización tanto del producto obtenido como de los subproductos. En San Luis se dan las dos situaciones: la venta de granos sin procesar y la de productos y subproductos obtenidos a partir de los granos y las oleaginosas. Como consecuencia de los beneficios impositivos con los cuales cuenta la provincia, que se suman a la ventaja de su localización en el corredor bioceánico, la radicación industrial fue más importante que en otras provincias. Del total de este sector en San Luis, las industrias alimentarías representan el 8 (29 empresas), entre las cuales se encuentran empresas que utilizan como materia prima la soja y el maíz. El objetivo del presente trabajo es presentar datos de mercado de la soja y del maíz a nivel mundial, nacional y provincial y estudiar el eslabón de industrialización en la cadena de valor de dichas oleaginosas en la Provincia de San Luis. Para ello, se realizaron entrevistas a informantes clave del sector industrial, búsqueda bibliográfica, lectura de papers, asistencia a exposiciones de la agroindustria, validación de información obtenida a partir de páginas web y recopilación de datos del Ministerio de Economía de la Nación y de la Dirección Provincial de Estadística y Censos

Análisis de la institucionalidad asociada a los procesos de innovación tecnológica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata

La Extensión Rural, como mecanismo para propender al desarrollo rural en la Argentina, ha sido la herramienta por excelencia utilizada por los Estados para lograr objetivos institucionales vinculados a las políticas dominantes. El presente trabajo se propone analizar la institucionalidad asociada a la Extensión Rural y Asistencia Técnica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata luego de la crisis del 2001, como instrumento de apoyo al desarrollo rural. Para ello identifica a los actores del sector público y de la sociedad civil vinculados al proceso de innovación tecnológica que participan en la construcción de una nueva institucionalidad y los enfoques paradigmáticos emergentes, presentes en la agricultura familiar de la región. Se concluye que los cambios institucionales que se están operando, como resultado de una nueva visión de la institucionalidad que se está construyendo, están dando lugar a estrategias de intervención novedosas para la región, siendo cada vez más frecuentes las acciones que operan a favor de la agricultura familiar

Cadenas de valores en el sector agroindustrial en la provincia de San Luis : Industrialzación

En la Provincia de San Luis existen 400.000 hectáreas activas de superficie cultivable con un potencial de 700.000 hectáreas. Los cultivos preponderantes son las oleaginosas, principalmente soja, maíz y girasol. En los últimos años, la provincia se expandió tanto en agricultura como en ganadería: en 2010 el sector ganadería creció un 7; por su parte, la agricultura se encuentra en una transición importante gracias a que los productores han incorporado tecnología que permite el crecimiento en una provincia con un clima muy diferente al de la pampa húmeda. La conjunción de esta circunstancia y de la realización de obras públicas provoca un sinergismo que ha llevado a la expansión del sector productivo. En la cadena de productos agroindustriales, uno de los eslabones principales para agregar valor en origen es la industrialización, con vistas a la posterior comercialización tanto del producto obtenido como de los subproductos. En San Luis se dan las dos situaciones: la venta de granos sin procesar y la de productos y subproductos obtenidos a partir de los granos y las oleaginosas. Como consecuencia de los beneficios impositivos con los cuales cuenta la provincia, que se suman a la ventaja de su localización en el corredor bioceánico, la radicación industrial fue más importante que en otras provincias. Del total de este sector en San Luis, las industrias alimentarías representan el 8 (29 empresas), entre las cuales se encuentran empresas que utilizan como materia prima la soja y el maíz. El objetivo del presente trabajo es presentar datos de mercado de la soja y del maíz a nivel mundial, nacional y provincial y estudiar el eslabón de industrialización en la cadena de valor de dichas oleaginosas en la Provincia de San Luis. Para ello, se realizaron entrevistas a informantes clave del sector industrial, búsqueda bibliográfica, lectura de papers, asistencia a exposiciones de la agroindustria, validación de información obtenida a partir de páginas web y recopilación de datos del Ministerio de Economía de la Nación y de la Dirección Provincial de Estadística y Censos

Análisis de la institucionalidad asociada a los procesos de innovación tecnológica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata

La Extensión Rural, como mecanismo para propender al desarrollo rural en la Argentina, ha sido la herramienta por excelencia utilizada por los Estados para lograr objetivos institucionales vinculados a las políticas dominantes. El presente trabajo se propone analizar la institucionalidad asociada a la Extensión Rural y Asistencia Técnica en el sector hortícola del Gran La Plata luego de la crisis del 2001, como instrumento de apoyo al desarrollo rural. Para ello identifica a los actores del sector público y de la sociedad civil vinculados al proceso de innovación tecnológica que participan en la construcción de una nueva institucionalidad y los enfoques paradigmáticos emergentes, presentes en la agricultura familiar de la región. Se concluye que los cambios institucionales que se están operando, como resultado de una nueva visión de la institucionalidad que se está construyendo, están dando lugar a estrategias de intervención novedosas para la región, siendo cada vez más frecuentes las acciones que operan a favor de la agricultura familiar

Cadenas de valores en el sector agroindustrial en la provincia de San Luis : Industrialzación

En la Provincia de San Luis existen 400.000 hectáreas activas de superficie cultivable con un potencial de 700.000 hectáreas. Los cultivos preponderantes son las oleaginosas, principalmente soja, maíz y girasol. En los últimos años, la provincia se expandió tanto en agricultura como en ganadería: en 2010 el sector ganadería creció un 7; por su parte, la agricultura se encuentra en una transición importante gracias a que los productores han incorporado tecnología que permite el crecimiento en una provincia con un clima muy diferente al de la pampa húmeda. La conjunción de esta circunstancia y de la realización de obras públicas provoca un sinergismo que ha llevado a la expansión del sector productivo. En la cadena de productos agroindustriales, uno de los eslabones principales para agregar valor en origen es la industrialización, con vistas a la posterior comercialización tanto del producto obtenido como de los subproductos. En San Luis se dan las dos situaciones: la venta de granos sin procesar y la de productos y subproductos obtenidos a partir de los granos y las oleaginosas. Como consecuencia de los beneficios impositivos con los cuales cuenta la provincia, que se suman a la ventaja de su localización en el corredor bioceánico, la radicación industrial fue más importante que en otras provincias. Del total de este sector en San Luis, las industrias alimentarías representan el 8 (29 empresas), entre las cuales se encuentran empresas que utilizan como materia prima la soja y el maíz. El objetivo del presente trabajo es presentar datos de mercado de la soja y del maíz a nivel mundial, nacional y provincial y estudiar el eslabón de industrialización en la cadena de valor de dichas oleaginosas en la Provincia de San Luis. Para ello, se realizaron entrevistas a informantes clave del sector industrial, búsqueda bibliográfica, lectura de papers, asistencia a exposiciones de la agroindustria, validación de información obtenida a partir de páginas web y recopilación de datos del Ministerio de Economía de la Nación y de la Dirección Provincial de Estadística y Censos

Agricultural Policies and Development of Myanmar's Agricultural Sector: An Overview

This paper reviews the development of the agricultural sector in Myanmar after the transition to an open economy in 1988 and analyzes the nature as well as the performance of the agricultural sector. The avoidance of social unrest and the maintenance of control by the regime are identified as the two key factors that have determined the nature of agricultural policy after 1988. A major consequence of agricultural policy has been a clear difference in development paths among the major crops. Production of crops that had a potential for development showed sluggish growth due to policy constraints, whereas there has been a self-sustaining increase in the output of those crops that have fallen outside the remit of agricultural policy.

Commercialization of agriculture in the Himalayas

Increased market integration and commercialization of traditional agriculture in the Himalayas is part of a development strategy towards growth and better standard of living. More than 97 percent households depend upon agricultural and allied activities for livelihood which constitutes 30 percent of the household income. Given the importance of commercialization of agriculture to improve the productivity, per capita income and thereby the standard of living in the Himalayas, we examine the factors affecting the commercialization of agriculture on the basis of primary survey data. The results reveal that the land size, gender of the household head, livestock assets, ethnicity, education and location are important determinants of commercialization. Although commercialization of agriculture is considered as stimulated private-sector activity, public policy is essential to facilitate driving forces viz., trade and market reforms, rural infrastructure, and the institutional framework for legal and contractual arrangements between farmers and processors.

Development strategy in Bihar through revitalizing the agricultural sector : a preliminary analysis

Based mainly on secondary data and partly on primary information obtained through field surveys in selected rural areas in Bihar in 2011, this paper firstly argues the critical importance of agricultural growth for overall economic development, and then reviews the sluggish growth of agriculture in Bihar in the past and examines the major reasons for this. The long-term negligence of agricultural research (especially development and diffusion endeavors for improved rice varieties suitable to the local conditions of Bihar) by the state government and some sort of ‘backwardness’ in tube-well irrigation technology can be pointed out as important constraints. There is, in particular, the ‘paradox’ in Bihar agriculture of why rice and wheat yields have remained so low in spite of the relatively well-developed irrigation by tube-wells. Finally, by showing the process of a rapid increase in autumn and winter rice yields during the 1990s in West Bengal, it is suggested that Bihar farmers and policy-makers should learn from the experience of West Bengal in order to get some hints for the development of the rice sector in Bihar.