PIM PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP ON RURAL TRANSFORMATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS 2018: CALL FOR PAPERS

The CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) will convene a pre-conference workshop on the topic of Rural Transformation in the 21st Century: The Challenges of Low-Income, Late-Transforming Countries as part of the next International Conference of Agricultural Economists (July 28 - August 2, 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada). The workshop will be held on July 28.

Rural Transformation refers to the change (usually as part of an economy-wide process of structural transformation) of rural areas that are poor and largely based on agriculture to more diversified and prosperous ones. Countries undergoing the process in the 21^st century face a different context than those that did so in the 19^th or 20^th centuries. Competition from foreign suppliers is tough, even in local markets in low income countries. Jobs for young people are scarce. Late-transformers lag, rather than lead, global technical innovation. Migration is risky. The challenges of late transformation are offset, at least partially, by benefits; to leap-frog technologies, to sell into distant markets, to use ICT for productive and social purposes, to deploy a more educated rural population, and to access flows of remittances. Researchers accordingly ask what role agriculture and food systems play in late-transforming countries, and what interventions can facilitate shared growth, better nutrition, and sound natural resource management as economies diversify.

This event is convened by PIM as the Second Annual Social Science Conference of CGIAR. Contributions are invited from CGIAR scientists, research partners, and IAAE members.

The workshop will have a brief opening, four sessions, and a closing panel. Papers are invited for the following sessions:

1. New insights into 21^st century rural transformation; what does it look like in different regions?  Papers should address an aspect of transformation important in Africa south of the Sahara, South Asia, Central Asia, and/or transforming parts of Southeast Asia, and provide new empirical or theoretical insights.  Topics addressing gender and age dimensions of transformation are particularly welcome.
2. Implications of 21^st century rural transformation for markets and value chains: What factors allow small producers, women, youth, and marginalized actors to participate successfully in value chains? What is the capacity for job creation? How does urbanization affect opportunities along value chains? Do market distortions impede transformation?
3. Linkage between rural transformation, climate change, and NRM:  What are institutional options to manage natural resources as settlement becomes denser and demand for land, forest products, minerals, water, etc. increases? What implications does transformation have for the natural resource base and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change?
4. What about the non-transformers? Where and why are countries stuck with rural stagnation or even decline; e.g., poverty, resource degradation, low productivity agriculture, hunger, and malnourishment? What are viable strategies to address the acute needs of these countries or localities?
5. Closing: Panel of conclusions
   • What are the implications of late transformation for the agricultural economics profession?
   • What are the implications of late transformation for CGIAR?
   • What are the implications of late transformation for development agencies?

15 papers were selected for the workshop’s four sessions through a review of abstracts submitted in this open competitive call. See selected papers here