Improving the Lot of the Farmer: Development Challenges in Timor-Leste during the Second Decade of Independence
(2013) In Asian Economic Papers 12(2). p.71-96- Abstract
- Large segments of the rural Timorese population survive on subsistence farming characterized by simple production methods and low output. Broad-based improvements in Timorese living standards require increased agricultural output. This article discusses what determines agricultural development in Timor-Leste and how such development can be achieved. The main causes of low agricultural output is found to be scarcity of land and capital, poor technology and education, and lack of government support such as extension services and provision of infrastructure. We construct a model of an agricultural household to examine how increased market incentives will affect agricultural output and incomes. The effects of different price changes on... (More)
- Large segments of the rural Timorese population survive on subsistence farming characterized by simple production methods and low output. Broad-based improvements in Timorese living standards require increased agricultural output. This article discusses what determines agricultural development in Timor-Leste and how such development can be achieved. The main causes of low agricultural output is found to be scarcity of land and capital, poor technology and education, and lack of government support such as extension services and provision of infrastructure. We construct a model of an agricultural household to examine how increased market incentives will affect agricultural output and incomes. The effects of different price changes on household production, consumption, sales, income and leisure are investigated. We find that the objective of increasing the living standard of Timorese farmers may in part be achieved via increased earning opportunities outside agriculture. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3469763
- author
- Lundahl, Mats and Sjöholm, Fredrik LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Timor-Leste, Agriculture, Poverty, Development, Rural
- in
- Asian Economic Papers
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 71 - 96
- publisher
- MIT Press
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000319865800009
- ISSN
- 1535-3516
- DOI
- 10.1162/ASEP_a_00211
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 747a26b1-40e2-4314-bd7d-b4e8c0394b9c (old id 3469763)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:13:04
- date last changed
- 2024-09-19 12:00:04
@article{747a26b1-40e2-4314-bd7d-b4e8c0394b9c, abstract = {{Large segments of the rural Timorese population survive on subsistence farming characterized by simple production methods and low output. Broad-based improvements in Timorese living standards require increased agricultural output. This article discusses what determines agricultural development in Timor-Leste and how such development can be achieved. The main causes of low agricultural output is found to be scarcity of land and capital, poor technology and education, and lack of government support such as extension services and provision of infrastructure. We construct a model of an agricultural household to examine how increased market incentives will affect agricultural output and incomes. The effects of different price changes on household production, consumption, sales, income and leisure are investigated. We find that the objective of increasing the living standard of Timorese farmers may in part be achieved via increased earning opportunities outside agriculture.}}, author = {{Lundahl, Mats and Sjöholm, Fredrik}}, issn = {{1535-3516}}, keywords = {{Timor-Leste; Agriculture; Poverty; Development; Rural}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{2}}, pages = {{71--96}}, publisher = {{MIT Press}}, series = {{Asian Economic Papers}}, title = {{Improving the Lot of the Farmer: Development Challenges in Timor-Leste during the Second Decade of Independence}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/ASEP_a_00211}}, doi = {{10.1162/ASEP_a_00211}}, volume = {{12}}, year = {{2013}}, }