Assignment:
In our previous class discussions, we have stressed the importance of health and education/technology as the integral parts of the development process, where the role of women's empowerment in key decision-making process of family affairs and population planning has been highlighted. As a follow up of that discussion, we can now look back and observe some of the important elements of sustainable economic development. A sustained growth rate of real GDP is one of them. The other integral factors that we have discussed are health care improvement for all citizens, education for disadvantaged women and children, elimination of child labor, preventing environmental degradation, rural development of agricultural transformation, promoting the freedom to choose and ownership rights of properties, and establishing democratic institutions with strong social settings of cooperation.
From the perspectives of the above integration of development strategy, critically discuss the following question regarding the issues of agricultural transformation and integrated rural development. Your answers is required to give examples of specific country case studies, which were discussed in relevant study materials for countries in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
1. Compare and contrast between the concepts of integrated rural development and agricultural transformation with specific example of a country or a region.
2. Briefly explain at least 5 major structural characteristics of agriculture of three regions: Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
3. Women bear a disproportionate burden in the agrarian system of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition, their productivity is low. Explain these statements with specific examples from individual developing economies. What measures/policies have been implemented to deal with these two issues? Once again discuss with specific examples from individual developing economies.
4. What are some of the specific policies aimed at improving the productivity of women farmers in Kenya? Is it possible for adapting the same policy prescription for the productivity of women in India.
5. What role should the governments play with respect to the agricultural sector in developing countries to align with new industrializations policy in their attempts to alleviate poverty?