Showing papers by "Peter Sheehan published in 2012"

The Contribution of Agricultural Growth to Poverty Reduction

Abstract: (ACIAR) was established in June 1982 by an Act of the Australian Parliament. ACIAR operates as part of Australia's international development cooperation program, with a mission to achieve more productive and sustainable agricultural systems, for the benefit of developing countries and Australia. It commissions collaborative research between Australian and developing-country researchers in areas where Australia has special research competence. It also administers Australia's contribution to the International Agricultural Research Centres. Where trade names are used this constitutes neither endorsement of nor discrimination against any product by the Centre. ACIAR seeks to ensure that the outputs of the research it funds are adopted by farmers, policymakers, quarantine officers and other beneficiaries. In order to monitor the effects of its projects, ACIAR commissions independent assessments of selected projects. This series of publications reports the results of these independent studies. Numbers in this series are distributed internationally to selected individuals and scientific institutions, and are also available from ACIAR's website at . The contribution of agricultural growth to poverty reduction (IAS 76)  3 The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) commissions research that leads to more productive and sustainable agriculture for its developing-country partners. In line with Australia's development-assistance strategy, ACIAR's program of research has adopted a greater focus on poverty reduction over the past decade. The success of this approach was highlighted in the Australian Government's response to the review of aid effectiveness, with the acknowledgement that agricultural research remains an important driver of agricultural productivity. The Government's response endorses ACIAR's role in research and recognises the impressive results from its work. There is general consensus that, since 1980, there has been a significant reduction in poverty in many developing countries, with some countries achieving ahead of time the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015. Many studies pointed to the strong link between agricultural growth and poverty reduction. Nevertheless, the interest of government policymakers and the donor organisations in agriculture declined from the 1980s onwards, regaining momentum only when the price of staple food crops started to rise sharply in the mid 2000s. Vietnam—all of which have been substantial long-term research partners with ACIAR. The poverty status of each country was examined in terms of monetary (unidimensional) indicators and an emerging alternative indicator, the Multidimensional Poverty Index. The key linkages between agricultural development and poverty reduction are defined, with the forms of rural development most conducive to …