Resource information
The workshop brings diverse perspectives
from outside the World Bank, providing a forum in which to
exchange ideas and debate in the course of developing the
World Development Report (WDR). Participants at the 2006
Berlin Workshop gathered to discuss challenges and successes
pertaining to agriculture and development. Agriculture is
the major sector contributing to economic development in
many poor countries. Three out of every four poor people in
developing countries live in rural areas. As globalization
accelerates, development policies should tackle future
challenges in agriculture arising from the scarcity of
natural resources and globalization. The author highlights
the paramount importance of redefining the framework for
agriculture, providing us with food for thought and putting
forward suggestions that need greater reflection and more
detailed discussion. The contribution focuses on three main
topics. First, the author presents some considerations on
global agricultural development and trade. The author
describes the different approaches to agricultural
development, outcomes and effects of these approaches and
evaluates which nations or which population groups are
benefiting, as this could help to develop target group
oriented strategies in poverty alleviation and agriculture.
Second, the author takes a critical look at how agriculture
and the rural sector can be an effective engine for growth.
Another issue on the agenda is to determine what agriculture
needs in the way of technology, infrastructure, and
financial support to become a growth engine? These new
insights should contribute to an appropriate formulation and
implementation of tailored agriculture for development
programs. Finally, the author looks at development in
connection with systematic capacity building and training,
pointing out the need to define sound capacity-building
measures in terms of agriculture as well as to determine how
these could be used more effectively.
