Rural Development Policy: Rationale and Reality

America's rural communities have fared poorly in economic termscompared to metropolitan areas. After a spurt of growth in the1970s that seemed to be closing the gap, rural areas are againlosing ground. Rural communities have argued for special helpfrom the national government. Such help can be justified tofacilitate balanced economic growth, create "more equal" standardsof living, and benefit small farmers, a group for whom the nationhas a special regard. The counter-arguments are that specialhelp to rural areas postpones adjustments to an increasinglyurban world and that federal rural programs subsidize a favoredlife-style. In fact, several federal development programs serverural areas. President Carter announced a rural policy in 1979.In 1980 the Congress enacted legislation requiring future administrationsto address rural concerns systematically. The Reagan administrationhas sent Congress the rural development strategy required bythe law, and two annual updates. However, if having a policymeans having a systematic approach to reaching defined objectives,the U.S. has had no rural policy. The objectives of federalrural efforts have never been settled on, and approaches torural problems continue to be unsystematic.     

From state paternalism to neoliberalism in Australian rural policy: Perspectives from the Western Australian wheatbelt

For much of this century, the rural policies of Australian governments were directed at providing a viable social and economic base for rural communities and country towns. Policies which provided the conditions for stable growth in the agricultural economy, together with equitable levels of access to services such as schools, hospitals and public housing, were seen as instrumental in the development of stable rural communities. More recently, however, the process of global economic restructuring, agricultural adjustment, farm amalgamation and rapid technological change, have contributed to the declining socio‐economic viability of many rural areas. This pattern of decline has been compounded over recent years by the emergence of state and federal government policies based upon the principles of ‘neoliberalism’. The emergence of this approach to rural policy has meant that state and federal governments have, increasingly, withdrawn from effective regional development strategies, rationalised the levels of public service provision, and devolved much of the responsibility for community well‐being to the local level. This paper critically reviews the changing governmental approaches to rural development, and reflects upon some of the outcomes of these policy changes in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.     

Targeting State Aid To Distressed Rural Communities

Recent rural economic problems have prompted some states totarget economic development assistance to distressed rural areas.The most common way to target these programs has been to allocateaid based on unemployment rates. This may be a questionablepractice, however, because the unemployment rate is a poor indicatorof economic difficulty in many rural areas. This article assessesthe strengths and weaknesses of alternative economic, social,and fiscal indicators that are available for allocating aidto distressed rural communities. It concludes with some specificsuggestions for improving the effectiveness of state aid fordistressed rural areas. Background information is provided concerningrural economic and fiscal difficulties in the 1980s and recentstate initiatives.     

Credit and the rural poor: The changing policy environment in Bangladesh

This paper reviews the changing policy environment as regards credit for development in rural Bangladesh. The experiences of a range of both successful and failed formal credit interventions in rural areas are employed to reflect upon the adequacy of the currently dominant analytical approach, (Rural Financial Markets) to credit for development. The importance for the rural poor of the quality of access to credit is stressed and the political economy of access is examined. Nevertheless, the ‘Rural Financial Market’ analysis has directed recent credit policy shifts in Bangladesh, and the paper moves on to consider the implications of this for development organisations/projects seeking to work with the formal banking system. A typology of the forms of relationship between projects and the banking system is introduced and a case study of proposals for a line of credit for a production and employment generation programme is presented. This case study seeks to explore the possibilities of restructuring the access situation with respect to formal credit given the current policy environment. The paper concludes by raising some of the broader consequences of the policy changes for the rural development strategies in Bangladesh.     

IMPACTS OF THE FARM FINANCIAL CRISIS OF THE 1980s ON RESOURCES AND POVERTY IN AGRICULTURALLY DEPENDENT COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES

The farm financial crisis of the 1980s has had a major effect on agriculturally dependent areas in the United States. The crisis has resulted in a large proportion of producers leaving agriculture, in a substantial decline in the number of rural businesses, and in the support for rural service bases. Although extensively analyzed, the crisis' impacts on resources and poverty have not been adequately evaluated.
This paper examines such impacts using parameters derived from USDA data and from extensive surveys of producers, business operators, and employees in rural communities. The results show effects on populations, services, and income that could lead to a substantial increase in the rates of poverty in these counties.
The paper concludes that the crisis, if left unaddressed, may result in a long-term loss of economic opportunities, accentuated rates of poverty, and reduced potential for economic development in agriculturally dependent areas in the United States.     

Decentralization by default: Local governance and the view from the village in The Gambia

Policies to decentralize government activities in The Gambia have been on the agenda for more than a decade but no decisions have been taken. During this period the quality of government services to rural areas has declined dramatically. The linchpin of provincial administration, the divisional commissioner, has become redundant as far as development is concerned. The activities of line ministries have deteriorated as their expenditures have been reduced and they lack the funds to permit staff to operate at village level. Area councils that were previously regarded as wasteful are now totally discredited. Village development committees (VDCs) have been formed, but the results are mixed and often they are ineffective. By default, decentralization in the 1980s and early 1990s in The Gambia has been achieved by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which have rapidly grown in number and significance. This article explores the perceptions of villagers in The Gambia about the various organizations that are meant to serve their needs. Its conclusion speculates on proposals to implement a new decentralization policy in the country and points to the need for aid agencies to adopt a less simplistic approach to the issue of local governance.     

中国现代化进程与新农村建设

新时期中国的现代化在取得巨大成就的同时也表现出相当严重的发展失衡状态,城乡发展失衡尤为突出,农村长期被边缘化。建设社会主义新农村,是矫正中国现代化发展严重不平衡状态的重大战略举措;是促使我国现代化在新阶段实现协调、平衡发展,逐步走向成熟的必然要求;也是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化基本价值诉求的体现。在现阶段,国家的大力帮助和扶持是新农村建设的必要前提;以技术化为核心的农业现代化是新农村建设的主要着力点;调整城市化战略是新农村建设有效推进的重要条件。     

The development of small-scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa

The performance of irrigation schemes in sub-Saharan Africa has generally been discouraging. This has been particularly true of large-scale formal smallholder developments. Recently attention has been turning increasingly to small-scale farmer-managed irrigation, generally utilizing simple, low-cost methods of water control. While not yet very prominent in Government planning and policy statements, small-scale irrigation has been espoused enthusiastically by farmers, non-governmental organizations and some international agencies. In this approach to rural development external agencies act as catalysts of change, technical advisors, channels for capital funding and intermediaries between farmer groups and other organizations. Although generally limited in physical size and sophistication of technology, small-scale irrigation nevertheless experiences the complexities inherent in the management of land and water, and of social, political and economic change. Research and development needs are wide-ranging, and attention to them is likely to be fruitful in terms of increasingly effective rural development strategies.     

农村财务管理中的腐败现状及其惩防模式构建

近年来,农村财务腐败问题从反腐败“盲区”变为社会关注的焦点之一,违纪违法案件也呈现出数量由少到多、案值由小到大的发展态势,成为影响农村经济社会和谐发展的重要制约因素。当前农村财务腐败的行为表征体现为：违规操作,牟取私利;巧立名目,虚假冒领;肆意隐瞒集体资产与收入;票据使用不规范,收支管理混乱;现金管理不合理,白条列支严重等方面。究其原因,主要是主体自律与他律意识呈现“双弱”态势,村级财务管理体制不规范,监控体系不完善,对现有的农村财务腐败案件的惩处力度也不够严厉。因此,要构建以教育反腐为基础、群众反腐和社会反腐为保障,技术反腐、体改反腐、司法反腐为手段的农村财务腐败惩防体系,为农村基层党风廉政建设奠定坚实的基础。     

如何突破中国农村反贫困政策的瓶颈

改革开放以来,我国农村的反贫困政策取得了举世瞩目的成就。但是,目前我国农村反贫困政策实际上陷入了某种瓶颈之中。要突破中国农村反贫困政策的瓶颈,就必须在全社会确立起让全体社会成员共享社会发展成果的基本理念。在此条件下,针对中国农村社会政策存在的问题分别采取以下几项实际的对策:缩小城乡反贫困政策之间的差距;启动农村的职业培训;将公益性(救济式)扶贫与生产性(开发性)扶贫有效地结合在一起;对失地农民需要采取力度更大的扶持政策;重视极端贫困地区的搬迁式扶贫。     

吉林省生态农村建设的思考

生态农村建设作为生态省建设的重要组成部分,对吉林省的持续发展有着重要的作用。从国务院以环函〔1999〕436号文批准吉林省为全国生态省建设试点至今已有十年时间,系统回顾生态农村建设情况对吉林省未来发展有着重要的现实意义。本文系统分析了吉林省生态农村建设的现状及存在的问题,提出了相应的对策。     

我国乡村干部的腐败问题及其治理对策研究

乡村干部处在农村工作的第一线,是农业生产和农村社会活动的组织者和领导者,是党的路线、方针、政策在农村的宣传者、推动者和执行者,是团结带领农民群众建设社会主义新农村的带头人.近年来中国乡村干部腐败问题越来越严重,在有些地方已成为"常态".腐败案件越来越多,并且呈现逐年上升的趋势,引起了广大农民群众的强烈不满.从分析乡村干部腐败案件入手,揭示了造成乡村干部腐败的五个因素:乡村干部权力观的严重扭曲,手中掌握的权力"含金量"高,权力运行缺乏有效监督,腐败的预期成本低,以及财务管理混乱等.指出了乡村干部腐败的严重性:乡村干部腐败损害了党和政府的形象,侵害了农民群众的切身利益,制约了农村集体经济的发展,破坏了农村的社会稳定.最后,有针对性地提出了治理乡村干部腐败的对策.     

Participatory environmental management: Contradiction of process,project and bureaucracy in the Himalayan foothills

Using comparative Asian experience of organizational change, this article analyses the experience of an Indian organization responsible for environmental management in the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in moving from a standard Indian public sector approach to rural development and environmental management, to a new participatory approach. Successive World Bank funded watershed management projects in the Himalayan foothills were widely held not to have achieved and sustained their full potential in the past, largely due to an absence of effective local management of assets after the projects' end. On the other hand communities and groups have shown on a small scale a capacity to manage resources in a sustainable way. The Government of Uttar Pradesh's (UP) European Union (EU) funded Doon Valley Project has been through a first phase in which a participatory method of village level planning has been initiated. The article addresses the required changes and constraints involved in this first step of transformation. These include issues to do with organizational structure and procedures, training, gender and other social issues, and the dynamics of organizational change. The implications of a participatory approach are far reaching. The ‘off the shelf’ schemes that Government has offered to individuals, groups and communities in all watershed management as well as other rural development programmes are challenged both by the specificities of the Himalayan environment, and by the adoption of a genuinely participatory approach. Allowing people to decide how they will manage their hillsides requires an ability to facilitate that process. Facilitators need to have the flexibility and creativity to offer a variety of technical and managerial possibilities such that individuals, groups and communities can choose what suits them best. Constraints derive partly from the Government's set procedures and schemes in rural development, and from its advocacy of particular well worn technology packages. Constraints also derive from the way in which the whole project has been handled by Government and the Commission of the European Union from the beginning, and from the way in which technical assistance has been organized. It is important that governments and donors learn from such experiences so that future participatory environmental management work can have a greater chance of success.     

农业农村优先发展的资源配置逻辑与保障机制

农业农村优先发展是实施乡村振兴战略,加快推进农业农村现代化的根本保障。本文结合当前我国农业农村发展面临的现实矛盾和困境,深入阐述了农业农村优先发展的资源配置逻辑,提出了进一步推进户籍制度改革,加快劳动力非农转移、农民市民化进程;推动农村土地制度改革,促进农地流转及适度规模经营,提高农业劳动生产率;推动农村集体产权制度改革,适应城市资本下乡与农民财产性增收的现实需求;推进农村基本经营制度改革,促进农业社会化服务市场发育,构建小农户与现代农业产业经营的有效衔接机制等优先发展的实践路径和保障机制。     

Swedish development aid policy: A discussion with reference to Ethiopia

Formal Ethio-Swedish development co-operation began in 1945 with the signing of a technical assistance treaty in vocational and technical education. Since then Swedish aid has been extended to health, nutrition and agriculture, with agricultural aid constituting the largest share since 1967. Swedish agricultural aid could be classified broadly into the comprehensive and the minimum package programmes. This paper discusses the changes in Swedish rural development assistance from the project to the country programming approach as reflected in the comprehensive and minimum package programme. This paper shows that the country programming approach to international development assistance is an important contribution to the strategies of delivering foreign assistance. Since the approach utilizes existing government programmes as the starting point for development assistance, and attempts to integrate aid into the national resource base, it can build confidence and mutual working relationships among donors and aid recipients. Moreover, the approach as utilized by Sweden has a three-year time-frame, allowing the transfer of funds within Swedish sponsored programmes. The overall strategy objective supports and broadens existing programmes directed to improving the welfare of the rural poor.     

解决"三农"问题的两种互补模型:外生性发展与内生性发展

目前我国存在的一系列矛盾和问题,在相当程度上都是来自城乡二元结构转变的滞后。城乡二元结构包括城乡二元经济结构和城乡二元社会结构。针对发展中国家应如何改变由城乡二元经济结构所造成的农村经济落后状况,西方经济学家创建了外生性发展与内生性发展两种模型。这两种模型表面上是相互对立的,实际上是相互补充的。这已被中国农村改革与发展的实践所检验。     

农村劳动力转移对农村老龄化的影响及其对策建议

中国农民是最大的弱势群体,而农村人口老龄化问题成为束缚全面建设小康社会和农村可持续发展的“瓶颈”。通过定量分析,指出农村劳动力异地转移客观上加剧了农村人口的老龄化程度,削弱了传统的养老方式。如何有效解决这一问题,已成为重大研究课题。提出要实现农民“生有所靠、病有所医、老有所养”,必须及早谋划,城乡统筹,因地制宜,结合各地实际情况,建立多层次的保障模式;最后提出必须在农村加速建设社会保障制度的9项对策建议。     

农村党建新课题:重点解决农民党员政治入党问题

农村党组织是新农村建设的领导核心,也是维护农村稳定的第一道防线。由于各种原因,目前农村部分党员政治信念淡薄、政治意志衰退等问题日渐突出。在坚持思想入党原则的基础上,明确提出党员政治入党的要求,采取有效措施重点提高农民党员政治素质,已经成为加强农村党建的新课题。