A Primer on Development Economics
Description
This book explores how to achieve the first two Sustainable Development Goals- Zero Hunger and No Poverty -through effective development strategies in agriculture and industry. To eliminate hunger, increased food production is essential. To reduce poverty, expanding job opportunities through industrialization is key. The author presents a consistent analytical framework supported by a rich collection of case studies conducted over the past 40 years in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Written in plain language, the book is accessible to readers without a background in economics, making its insights widely applicable and easy to grasp.
Three fundamental development strategies are proposed for poor economies:
- Innovation through Learning : Learning technology and management practices from advanced countries, often with necessary adaptation to local conditions and resource endowments, is a fundamental first step for development.
- Investment in Human Capital : Strengthening the capabilities of key decision-makers-farmers in agriculture and managers in industry-is crucial for driving progress.
- Training and Knowledge Spillovers : To internalize the benefits of innovation, training programs led by governments or producer collectives are essential for spreading new knowledge effectively.
This book is a valuable resource for policymakers, development practitioners, and anyone interested in practical approaches to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
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Person
Keijiro Otsuka is a distinguished honorary professor at Kobe University and a fellow of the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo. He received a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago in 1979. Before joining Kobe University, he was a Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies from 2001 to 2016. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Rice Research Institute from 2004 to 2007, President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) from 2009 to 2012, and President of the Japanese Association for Development Economics from 2019 to 2024. He is an honorary life member of IAAE, a fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, a distinguished fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economists and the Asian Society of Agricultural Economists, and a fellow of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Economics. He received the Purple Ribbon Medal in 2010 and the Orders of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star in 2021 from the Japanese government and became a member of the Japan Academy in 2018. He has conducted numerous case studies on agricultural and industrial development in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa over the last 40 years.
Content
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?.- What Is Development Economics?.- Is Poverty Declining?.- Why Can't We Eradicate Poverty?.- WHAT IS HAPPENING?.- Hunger Must Be Prevented at All Costs.- What Can We Learn from East Asia?.- WHAT MUST AND MUST NOT BE DONE?.- What Developing Countries Must Not Do.- What Developing Countries Must Do to Achieve Prosperity.- How Can the "Middle-Income Trap" Be Avoided?.- What the World Must Address More Seriously.- Index.