PASSN presents
Agricultural Technology, Productivity, Poverty and Food Security in Madagascar
Dr. Christopher Barrett, SAGA/Cornell University
May 18, 3:00 – 4:00pm
RRB 3.09.10
Dr. Barrett presented results from research in Madagascar on the linkages between agricultural technology and productivity and their effects on poverty and food security. The paper uses a unique, spatially-explicit dataset to study the link between agricultural performance and rural poverty in Madagascar. The research shows that, controlling for geographical and physical characteristics, communes that have higher rates of adoption of improved agricultural technologies and, consequently, higher crop yields enjoy lower food prices, higher real wages for unskilled workers and better welfare indicators. The empirical evidence strongly favors support for improved agricultural production as an important part of any strategy to reduce the high poverty rates currently prevalent in rural Madagascar. A copy of the presentation and a summary are available below. Dr. Barrett's working paper is available here.
Dr. Barrett’s work is supported through the SAGA cooperative agreement. SAGA is sponsored by EGAT/PR/PASSN, EGAT/EG, and AFR/SD.