Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The Revival of Agriculture and Inclusive Growth during the Commodity Boom in Latin America?

Andersson, Martin LU and Palacio, Andrés LU (2019) In Lund Papers in Economic History. Development Economics
Abstract
Latin America has constituted a recent example of inclusive growth by reducing poverty
and income inequality simultaneously during the latest commodity boom. Against the
backdrop of non-inclusive and non-transformative nature of commodity booms, we ask
whether growth of agriculture was able to speed up structural transformation, and,
relatedly, if agricultural growth was inclusive. We examine 16 countries for the period
1994-2014 and find that the increase in agricultural productivity is associated with an
increase in both non-agricultural employment during the boom. We also find that income
per capita growth has been increasing also among the poor, even if the income elasticities
are lower... (More)
Latin America has constituted a recent example of inclusive growth by reducing poverty
and income inequality simultaneously during the latest commodity boom. Against the
backdrop of non-inclusive and non-transformative nature of commodity booms, we ask
whether growth of agriculture was able to speed up structural transformation, and,
relatedly, if agricultural growth was inclusive. We examine 16 countries for the period
1994-2014 and find that the increase in agricultural productivity is associated with an
increase in both non-agricultural employment during the boom. We also find that income
per capita growth has been increasing also among the poor, even if the income elasticities
are lower in rural than in urban areas. Focusing on the distribution of agricultural income in
Brazil and Colombia between 2003 and 2013, we find that any improvement did go through
income for the bottom and the intermediate deciles. Furthermore, formal employment was
positively connected to the development of agricultural prices, income improvement of the
bottom 40 per cent and the quality of manufacturing exports. In other words, the
commodity boom, through agricultural growth, increased linkages across sectors. We
conclude that the boom is associated with advances in structural change and moderate
inclusive growth rather than mere redistribution.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
agriculture, inclusive growth, Latin America, structural transformation, commodity boom, O13, O54
in
Lund Papers in Economic History. Development Economics
issue
2019:208
pages
32 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
81578614-54e7-4f9f-b007-427414d5fe05
date added to LUP
2019-11-07 10:31:40
date last changed
2019-11-07 10:31:40
@misc{81578614-54e7-4f9f-b007-427414d5fe05,
  abstract     = {{Latin America has constituted a recent example of inclusive growth by reducing poverty  <br/>and income inequality simultaneously during the latest commodity boom. Against the  <br/>backdrop of non-inclusive and non-transformative nature of commodity booms, we ask  <br/>whether growth of agriculture was able to speed up structural transformation, and,  <br/>relatedly, if agricultural growth was inclusive. We examine 16 countries for the period  <br/>1994-2014 and find that the increase in agricultural productivity is associated with an  <br/>increase in both non-agricultural employment during the boom. We also find that income  <br/>per capita growth has been increasing also among the poor, even if the income elasticities  <br/>are lower in rural than in urban areas. Focusing on the distribution of agricultural income in <br/>Brazil and Colombia between 2003 and 2013, we find that any improvement did go through  <br/>income for the bottom and the intermediate deciles. Furthermore, formal employment was  <br/>positively connected to the development of agricultural prices, income improvement of the  <br/>bottom 40 per cent and the quality of manufacturing exports. In other words, the  <br/>commodity boom, through agricultural growth, increased linkages across sectors. We  <br/>conclude that the boom is associated with advances in structural change and moderate  <br/>inclusive growth rather than mere redistribution.  <br/>}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Martin and Palacio, Andrés}},
  keywords     = {{agriculture; inclusive growth; Latin America; structural  transformation; commodity boom; O13; O54}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2019:208}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic History. Development Economics}},
  title        = {{The Revival of Agriculture and Inclusive  Growth during the Commodity Boom in  Latin America?}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/71588899/LUP_208.pdf}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}