Originally published in 1982. This book explores the nature of food marketing in Third World countries. Economic development invariably involves a transition from the traditional subsistence and/or barter economics to increasing participation in cash transactions. In many less developed countries this transition has been facilitated by enterprising middlemen, who provide the link between dispersed small satellite producers and urban buyers. In spite of these developments, producer-seller markets still operate in numerous countries, particularly the newly independent Pacific island states and large parts of Africa and Asia. This book examines the phenomenon of producer-seller markets, basing the study on the situation in New Guinea. The author then uses this data to construct theoretical propositions for the marketing of various food items and examines the producer-seller market, arguing that the lack of inter-regional economic interdependence is likely to promote secessional movements, particularly in states where two or more ethnic groups exist.

Originally published in 1982. This book explores the nature of food marketing in Third World countries. Economic development invariably involves a transition from the traditional subsistence and/or barter economics to increasing participation in cash transactions. In many less developed countries this transition has been facilitated by enterprising middlemen, who provide the link between dispersed small satellite producers and urban buyers. In spite of these developments, producer-seller markets still operate in numerous countries, particularly the newly independent Pacific island states and large parts of Africa and Asia. This book examines the phenomenon of producer-seller markets, basing the study on the situation in New Guinea. The author then uses this data to construct theoretical propositions for the marketing of various food items and examines the producer-seller market, arguing that the lack of inter-regional economic interdependence is likely to promote secessional movements, particularly in states where two or more ethnic groups exist.

Three billion people live in rural areas in developing countries. Conditions for them are worse than for their urban counterparts when measured by almost any development indicator, from extreme poverty, to child mortality and access to electricity and sanitation.

"The magnitudes, nature, causes, and consequences of population movements between rural and urban sectors of developing countries are examined. The prior literature is reviewed, proving limited in key dimensions. Evidence is presented from a new database encompassing nationally representative data on seventy-five developing countries. Several measures of migration propensities are derived for the separate countries. The situation in each country is documented, both in historical context and following the time of enumeration. Rural-urban migrants enjoy major gains; those who do not move forego substantial, potential gains. Barriers to migrating are very real for disadvantaged groups. Migration among ethnolinguistic communities is a pervasive theme; the context in which each group lives is detailed. Upward mobility in incomes in towns is affirmed, and the departure of adults from rural homes raises living standards of the family left behind but consequent separation of married couples is endemic to particular societies. Reclassification of rural areas as urban is shown to be more important than net rural-urban moves in incremental urbanization and rural-urban moves are less permanent than normally portrayed. A contention of symmetry between rural-urban and urban-rural migration propensities is rejected and indications that these twin movements result in sorting of labor by skills is not supported. Moreover, step and onward migration are not as common as popularly claimed. Previously neglected topics studied include autonomous migration by women, child migration, and networks at origin. Policies to limit rural-urban migration are questioned, rather planning for managed urban growth is vital as climate change continues. Key words: Rural, urban, migration, development, literature, database, reclassification, sorting, policies"--

The world's demand for food is expected to double within the next 50 years, while the natural resources that sustain agriculture will become increasingly scarce, degraded, and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In many poor countries, agriculture accounts for at least 40 percent of GDP and 80 percent of employment. At the same time, about 70 percent of the world's poor live in rural areas and most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. 'World Development Report 2008' seeks to assess where, when, and how agriculture can be an effective instrument for economic development, especially development that favors the poor. It examines several broad questions: How has agriculture changed in developing countries in the past 20 years? What are the important new challenges and opportunities for agriculture? Which new sources of agricultural growth can be captured cost effectively in particular in poor countries with large agricultural sectors as in Africa? How can agricultural growth be made more effective for poverty reduction? How can governments facilitate the transition of large populations out of agriculture, without simply transferring the burden of rural poverty to urban areas? How can the natural resource endowment for agriculture be protected? How can agriculture's negative environmental effects be contained? This year's report marks the 30th year the World Bank has been publishing the 'World Development Report'.

As people increasingly migrate to urban settings and more than half of the world's population now lives in cities, it is vital to plan and provide for sustainable and resilient food systems which reflect this challenge. This volume presents experience and evidence-based "state of the art" chapters on the key dimensions of urban food challenges and types of intra- and peri-urban agriculture. The book provides urban planners, local policy makers and urban development practitioners with an overview of crucial aspects of urban food systems based on an up to date review of research results and practical experiences in both developed and developing countries. By doing so, the international team of authors provides a balanced textbook for students of the growing number of courses on sustainable agriculture, food and urban studies, as well as a solid basis for well-informed policy making, planning and implementation regarding the development of sustainable, resilient and just urban food systems.

Sustaining the rural and urban populations of the developing world has been identified as a key global challenge for the twenty-first century. Rural-Urban Interaction in the Developing World is an introduction to the relationships between rural and urban places in the developing world and shows that not all their aspects are as obvious as migration from country to city. There is now a growing realization that rural-urban relations are far more complex. Using a wealth of student-friendly features including boxed case studies, discussion questions and annotated guides to further reading, this innovative book places rural-urban interactions within a broader context, thus promoting a clearer understanding of the opportunities, as well as the challenges, that rural-urban interactions represent.