Showing papers by "Ramon Lopez published in 2000"

The Quality of Growth

Abstract: The last decade of the 20th century witnessed striking progress in the developing world but it also saw stagnation and setbacks. These differences and reversals in outcomes have taught us much about what contributes to development. The pace and quality of economic growth remains central. The discussion here brings out four dimensions of quality relevant for poverty outcomes: distribution, sustainability, variability, and governance surrounding the growth process. Viewing the quantative and qualitative sides of growth together puts the spotlight on a balanced growth of three sets of assets: human, physical, and natural capital, rather than an almost exclusive focus on promoting accumulation of physical capital.

Fighting Rural Poverty in Latin America: New Evidence of the Effects of Education, Demographics, and Access to Land*

Abstract: Poverty in most of Latin America is still more concentrated in rural than in urban areas. In Mexico, Central America, and the Andean countries, more than 60% of the poor live in rural areas, and their poverty is deeper than that of the urban poor. Paradoxically, however, the most influential analyses on poverty have a strong urban orientation—leaving a major gap in our understanding of the nature and magnitude of rural poverty. The heterogeneity of the region’s rural poor—in education, per capita income, access to land, and off-farm employment—increases the need for the gap to be filled so that a strategy to alleviate rural poverty can be developed. This article synthesizes six new case studies of rural poverty in Latin America—for Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, and Peru—and several thematic studies that examine land, labor, and poverty. The case studies are based on recent rural household survey data encompassing demographics, farm production, household income, and expenditures. Recognizing the heterogeneity within the rural economy, the studies distinguish three main groups, namely, small farmers, landless farm workers, and rural nonfarm workers. The studies provide a characterization of these groups, as well as a quantitative analysis of the determinants of household income. The quantitative analysis encompasses econometric estimations of farm production functions and household per capita income functions (for both farmers and rural nonfarm households) using cross-sectional household data and, in two countries (Honduras and Paraguay), panel data. For each country, the analysis measures the impact of various de-

Rural Poverty in Latin America

Abstract: Preface Foreword List of Abbreviations Contributors Fighting Rural Poverty in Latin America: New Evidence and Policy R.Lopez & A.Valdes PART I: THEMATIC STUDIES A Rural Poverty Profile of the Region A.Valdes Rural Poverty, Women, and Indigenous Groups in Latin America R.P.Korzeniewicz Land Markets and the Persistence of Rural Poverty: Post-Liberalization Policy Options M.R.Carter & E.Zegarra Wage Employment and Rural Poverty Alleviation A.C.Edwards Rural Non-Agricultural Employment and Poverty in Latin America: Evidence from Ecuador and El Salvador P.Lanjouw Poverty, Entrepreneurs, and Financial Markets in the Rural Areas of Mexico R.A.Chaves & S.M.Sanchez Rural Poverty and Natural Resource Degradation E.Barbier PART II: CASE STUDIES Determinants of Rural Poverty in Chile: Evaluating the Role of Public Extension/Credit Programs and Other Factors R.Lopez Determinants of Rural Poverty in Colombia R.Lopez & A.Valdes Rural Poverty in Honduras: Asset Distribution and Liquidity Constraints R.Lopez & C.Romano Rural Poverty in Paraguay: The Determinants of Farm-Household Income R.Lopez & T.Thomas Rural Poverty in El Salvador: A Quantitative Analysis R.Lopez Rural Poverty in Peru: Stylized Facts and Analytics for Policy R.Lopez & C.Maggiora Notes References Index

Trade reform and environmental externalities in general equilibrium: analysis for an archetype poor tropical country.

Abstract: This paper provides a conceptual and empirical general equilibrium framework for the analysis of the impact of trade reform on welfare and the environment. The analysis is applied to Cote d'Ivoire explicitly considering externalities affecting biomass (natural vegetation), which is shown to be an important factor determining agricultural productivity. The simulation general equilibrium analysis shows that the agricultural output composition effect dominates the agricultural expansion effect for the case of complete trade liberalization. Thus, in this case trade liberalization causes a significant improvement in the rural biomass stock by cutting land area cultivated, increases agricultural productivity, and induces dramatic welfare gains. That is, trade liberalization is a win–win type of policy in this case. However, partial trade liberalization that only reduces protection to non-agricultural goods (and does not reduce tariffs to agricultural import substitutes and does not reduce export taxes) causes a further deterioration of the biomass resources and reduces welfare.

Forest Resource Policy in Latin America

Abstract: "Forest Resource Policy in Latin America" gathers the thinking of a score of experts on sustainable use and management of forests, including incentives for investment. The authors tackle the thorny social issues of property rights, deforestation, and forest management and ownership by indigenous people and take a hard look at the trade and environmental issues in forest production that will affect future directions for sustainable forestry development in Latin America. Some argue that the main opportunity to conserve natural forests lies in recognizing and paying for the environmental services they provide. In addition, compensatory measures such as the establishment and better management of strictly protected areas appear to be the best tools to delay the loss of ecosystems and species. Alternative forest concession policies and trade and environmental issues in forest production are also analyzed.

Fighting Rural Poverty in Latin America: New Evidence and Policy

Abstract: Poverty in most of Latin America is still more rural than urban. In Mexico, Central America and the Andean countries, more than 60 per cent of the poor live in rural areas, and their poverty is deeper than that in urban areas. Paradoxically, however, the most influential analysis on poverty has a strong urban orientation — leaving a big gap in understanding the nature and magnitude of rural poverty. The heterogeneity of the region’s rural poor — in education, per capita income, access to services, security of land tenure — makes this gap a big detriment when designing a strategy to alleviate rural poverty.

Determinants of Rural Poverty in Colombia

Abstract: The objective of this chapter is to provide insights into the quantitative importance of the various factors affecting poverty among small farmers and landless rural households in Colombia. We present a profile of rural poverty, first based on household characteristics of the total survey population across income quintiles, then by separating households according to whether they are primarily agricultural, landless agricultural or rural non-agricultural. The second part of the analysis involves an econometric estimation of the determinants of income for each of these groups. Both analyses are based on the CASEN2 1993 household survey data.

Políticas forestales en América Latina

Abstract: En este libro, varios especialistas en politica forestal analizan mejores formas de manejo y conservacion de los recursos forestales de la region. Asimismo evaluan los impactos economicos y sociales de distintas politicas macroeconomicas y sectoriales en los bosques, y describen mecanismos de financiamiento para el uso y el manejo sostenibles, entre los cuales figuran incentivos para el manejo forestal. Los autores abordan asuntos espinosos como los derechos de propiedad, la deforestacion y el papel de los grupos indigenas como propietarios y administradores de bosques. Algunos sostienen que la mejor oportunidad para conservar los bosques naturales esta en reconocer y pagar por los servicios ambientales que estos suministran. Entre tanto, el diseno de medidas compensatorias como la creacion de areas estrictamente protegidas bien manejadas surge como la mejor herramienta para prevenir la perdida progresiva de especies y ecosistemas. Asimismo analizan politicas alternativas para las concesiones forestales, y examinan detenidamente muchas cuestiones ambientales y de comercio relacionadas con la produccion forestal que afectaran las futuras orientaciones del desarrollo sostenible del sector en America Latina.