Browsing by Author "Foster, William"
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- ItemInnovative Rural Entrepreneurship in Chile(PONTIFICIA UNIV CATOLICA CHILE, FAC AGRONOMIA INGENIERIA FORESTAL, 2021) Modrego, Felix; Foster, WilliamSuccessful policies seeking to promote rural entrepreneurship require a conceptual model consistent with the features of rural spaces and free of stereotypes of entrepreneurship as being only technologically sophisticated. The objective of this essay is, first, to argue that rural areas can be fertile ground for entrepreneurial activities in middle income countries such as Chile and, second, to discuss policy options to achieve the goal of encouraging a more innovative entrepreneurship in rural areas. The scientific literature on entrepreneurship and the definitions, types and roles of entrepreneurship in development are reviewed. The literature on the location of entrepreneurship is summarized to understand the drivers of observed territorial differences in entrepreneurial activity. One conclusion is that rural areas face a (seemingly) adverse economic geography for entrepreneurship, although there is a recent tendency for amenities-led growth. We then present the geography of rural entrepreneurship in Chile. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the rates of entrepreneurship in Chilean rural areas are high, although presumably of a limited growth potential under current conditions. Nevertheless, this entrepreneurial base provides a stock of knowledge from which a greater sophistication could be reached, and we discuss potential policy approaches to stimulate more innovative rural entrepreneurship. In the case of Chile, available policy options are coherent with the recently enacted National Rural Development Policy. A systemic, amenity based approach gives middle-income countries opportunities for the development of more innovative rural entrepreneurship through territorial policies that provide local public goods and improve living conditions.
- ItemReflections on the Role of Agriculture in Pro-Poor Growth(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2010) Valdes, Alberto; Foster, WilliamThis paper assesses the importance of agriculture poverty reduction, largely through its impact on overall economic growth, drawing on evidence from Latin America and other developing regions. The econometric evidence strongly suggests that the sector contributes to growth more than its share of GDP, certainly in Latin America but also elsewhere. Cross-country studies show that, on average in the developing world, agriculture tends to have an impact on both national growth and poverty reduction that is greater than its simple share of national GDP. The results reinforce the argument against taxing agriculture relative to other sectors and that in assigning government expenditures to public goods one should take into account the historical relationship between agricultural growth and the subsequent non-agricultural growth. The paper also considers approaches to stimulate the rural economy. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- ItemThe Constraints to Escaping Rural Poverty: An Analysis of the Complementarities of Assets in Developing Countries(OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2011) Foster, William; Valdes, Alberto; Davis, Benjamin; Anriquez, GustavoBased on Food and Agriculture Organization data for 15 developing countries, we examine household characteristics, asset bundles and income-generating activities of the rural poor. Assets aid in exiting poverty, not independent of one another, but rather in combination. We develop an approach to estimate the complementarities between education, farm size and infrastructure. Limited access to the three assets of interest here (susceptible to medium-and long-term interventions) might prevent moving a large number of small farmers out of poverty in the short-term (even with support programs). Increased land holding often has lower poverty-reducing potential, and when its potential is high, it is in countries where most land is divided among small operations (for example, Bangladesh). Education is confirmed as highly poverty-alleviating, and has a high complementarity with infrastructure.