Summary

Research Report: Examines the impacts of the Asian financial crisis on agriculture, rural development and agricultural institutions in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Description

This report examines the impacts of the Asian financial crisis on
agriculture, rural development and agricultural institutions in Indonesia,
Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. It examines the origins of the crisis
and its effects on poverty, the economy, inequality, agricultural production,
rural development and the activities of donors.

The authors demonstrate that whilst impacts in rural areas were
considerable, they were not as severe or protracted as many observers initially
feared. As well, the impacts varied widely from country to country, region to
region, and crop to crop. The resilience of rural areas is largely understood
to be due to the combined effect of effective operation of adjustment
mechanisms in the four economies and coping mechanisms among their
households.

The authors of this report argue that a characteristic of the crisis was
that it produced a strong momentum among both aid donors and recipients for
changes to aid policies and programs. A second characteristic was that it
turned out to be less severe and protracted than initially feared. As a
consequence, much of the momentum for reform has dissipated by the time the
reform proposals had been drafted. Nevertheless, both the need and the
opportunities for reform remain.

Agriculture in times of crisis: Impacts in South East Asia of the economic crisis [PDF 1.6mb]

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