Structural adjustment, agriculture, and nutrition : policy options in The Gambia

The papers in this volume emphasize, in turn, the effects of price policies on production response; the introduction of technology, especially irrigation and low-cost mechanization; the promotion of increased supplies of inputs, especially fertilizer; and the effects of institutional reforms, including privatization and market reform. Apart from assessing the effects of specific agricultural policy measures on growth and welfare, these papers also examine the interaction of these effects and the constraints on implementing policy reform measures. Key findings are: (1) the level and structure of agricultural output prices in the context of structural adjustment failed to "get the prices right;" (2) the response of outputs to increased aggregate (though modest) incentives was constrained by institutional factors; (3) income distribution in rural areas became more skewed; (4) food consumption levels remained more or less unchanged; and (5) the failure of projects and programs in rural areas had serious consequences for the rural poor, including increased malnutrition. (Author abstract, modified)