Figuring Rural Development

Sustainable economic development is essential for hundreds of millions of poor households in rural areas. This book represents a merger of environmental science and rural development economics. It elucidates the linkage between rational choice theory and theories on land use change. It builds a quantitative framework to connect the environmental method of Material Flow Analysis to basic issues of rural development such as agricultural intensification and food security. And finally, it de?velops a unique measuring rod of wealth and poverty called Freely Disposable Time, which integrates time and cash flows of house?holds. With this indicator, we can quantify the much-cherished concepts of freedoms and development capacity. Along the way, the book provides critical discussions on 'standard' Material Flow Analysis, systems versus actor-based approaches, and the over?supply of inductive studies in land use and development science. Empirical data are drawn from the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Laos and the Netherlands, in a comparative perspective. In 2006 Leiden University has initiated a series Leiden Dissertations at Leiden Univer?sity Press. This series affords an opportunity to those who have recently obtained their doctorate to publish the results of their doctoral research so as to ensure a wide distribution among colleagues and the interested public. The dissertations will become available both in printed and in digital versions. Books from this LUP series can be ordered through. The large majority of Leiden dissertations from 2005 onwards is available digitally on