Development Economics: The Role of Agriculture in Development

by P. N. (Raja) Junankar (Editor)

Overview

The papers in this book study economic development from the perspective of social justice and economic efficiency; exploring the role of land tenure and productivity in Indian agriculture. Junankar discusses the efficiency of small farms versus large farms, and the role of share-cropping tenancy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137555212
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	03/13/2016
Edition description:	1st ed. 2016
Pages:	233
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Raja Junankar studied at the London School of Economics, and has a Ph.D. from the University of Essex, UK. He has held research and teaching appointments in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, India, and the United States of America. He has published several books and refereed papers in leading national and international journals. He is an Emeritus Professor, University of Western Sydney and Honorary Professor, UNSW Australia.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Land Tenure, Agricultural Productivity, and Taxation
2.1 Land Tenure and Indian Agricultural Productivity
2.2 Land Ceilings as a Tax on Agriculture
2.3 Review of Palanpur: The Economy of an Indian Village
2.4 Agricultural Taxation in Less Developed Countries
3 Poverty, Mobility and Inequality
3.1 Poverty in India
3.2 The Green Revolution and Inequality
3.3 Mobility and Inequality in Indian Agriculture
4 Do Farmers in Developing Countries Maximise Profits?
4.1 Tests of the Profit Maximisation Hypothesis
4.2 Do Indian Farmers Maximize Profits?
4.3 Neoclassical Economics and Indian Agriculture
4.4 The Response of Peasant Farmers to Price Incentives
5 Informal Labour Markets
5.1 The Informal Labour Market in India
6 Microfinance and Women's Empowerment
6.1 Factors influencing women's empowerment on microcredit borrowers

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The papers on development gathered together by Raja Junankar in this volume witness to a critically minded, technically equipped, free spirit tackling one of the most important issues with which relevant economic analysis should be concerned.” (G. C. Harcourt, Visiting Professorial Fellow at UNSW, Australia)

“Raja Junankar has been a leading figure in development economics for more than four decades. He has contributed important work from factor markets and agriculture, to the dynamics of technological change, to inequality and beyond. He has thought hard and deeply about the goals and processes of development, and this collection of papers is of great value.” (Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)

“Throughout Raja Junankar’s long career, his work has been marked by a healthy mix of history and mathematics as well as conventional and unorthodox approaches. All of these strands of thinking are exhibited in this volume. Newcomers to development economics and veterans alike will be able to benefit from it.” (Gary Fields, Cornell University, USA)

“This impressive book has a wide range, from a clear and succinct survey of the main trends in development economics to an in depth consideration of issues that still remain essential. It should be essential reading for students, researchers and policy makers.” (Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India)

Editorial Reviews

Combining theoretical discussion and rich empirical analysis, this book has successfully filled a void left by existing development economics literature. The book provides readers with plenty of information regarding the role of agriculture in the process of development, which was usually omitted in previous development economics literature. … This book takes one of the most important issues with which relevant economic analysis should be welcomed. This book will gain a broad readership among economists and students in development economics.” (Jianqing Ruan, China Agricultural Economic Review, Vol. 9 (1), 2017)

From the Publisher