Decentralization and Agricultural Development

Transcription

1 Module 011 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development

2 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development by K.C. Lai, Consultant, Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO, Rome, Italy Vito Cistulli, Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO, Rome, Italy for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO About EASYPol EASYPol is a an on-line, interactive multilingual repository of downloadable resource materials for capacity development in policy making for food, agriculture and rural development. The EASYPol home page is available at: EASYPol has been developed and is maintained by the Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. FAO November 2005: All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material contained on FAO's Web site for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to: copyright@fao.org.

3 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development Table of Contents 1. Summary Introduction Background Structure of the modules belonging to the training path...2 Module metadata...5

4

5 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development 1 1. SUMMARY This module is an introduction to the training path Decentralization and Agricultural Development. It provides a Thematic Overview on decentralization and agricultural development by presenting the background and context of decentralization and its relevance to agriculture, summarizes the structure and content of the training path and provides hyperlinks to all the other modules of the trainig path. The training path first explains what decentralization is about, including its rationale, who is involved, and the various forms and dimensions of the process. Attention is then drawn to various practical expressions of decentralization in agricultural and rural development. 2. INTRODUCTION This training path is about decentralization and agricultural development. It first explains what decentralization is about, including its rationale, who is involved, and the various forms and dimensions of the process. Much of the resource materials for the modules derives from FAO s past experience and include past TCAS publications, working papers and project field documents. These have been synthesised and reformulated to improve access to a wider audience engaged directly or indirectly in agricultural and rural development endeavours. Target audience The modules belonging to this training path could be of interest to policy analysts and decision makers, development practitioners, training institutions and media. Required background No specific technical background, beyond reasonable language skills, is required. It is anticipated that individuals with a degree in an agricultural or rural development related area, and those with several years of experience in agricultural policy analysis or development planning and implementation, at a mid to senior level position, should have little difficulty in grasping the content of most modules in the training path. To find additional relevant materials in the area of decentralization and agricultural development, the reader can follow the links included in each module to other EASYPol modules or references 1. See also the list of useful EASYPol links included at the end of each module. 1 EASYPol hyperlinks are shown in blue, as follows: a) training paths are shown in underlined bold font; b) other EASYPol modules or complementary EASYPol materials are in bold underlined italics; c) links to the glossary are in bold; and d) external links are in italics.

6 2 EASYPol Module 011 Thematic Overview 3. BACKGROUND After the relatively strong growth over the 1960s, the world economy saw a major slow down during the 1970s. Coupled with the two oil shocks of 1973 and 1979, this erupted into a major debt crisis of the early 1980s. Such events triggered a major shift in economic perceptions and political attitudes that heralded more widespread acceptance of monetarist approaches to economic stabilization. This coincided with the emergence of a new policy agenda with strong preferences towards economic liberalization. This implied rolling back of the state both in terms of ownership of assets and its regulatory functions and activities. Since the early 1980s, measures to decentralize the economy, through privatising public enterprises, deconcentrating over-centralized administrations, and strengthening of local governments became evident. By the end of that decade, a new course of rural development policies and reforms, inspired by liberalization and decentralization principles, had begun to take shape 2. During the 1990s, such policies were introduced, in different forms and to different degree, in practically all developing countries. Meanwhile, the more developed countries pursued decentralization policies primarily to improve cost effectiveness in provision of public goods and services. These provided the basis for transition of Central and Eastern European states (and countries like China) from socialist systems to market economies and more democratic forms of governance, as further institutionalised amongst entrants to the enlarged European Union. Decentralization policies are at present being pursued by many countries, developing and developed, and those in transition. It is nowadays generally seen as a means of improving economic and social development performance, by bringing government closer to the people. It is particularly relevant to agricultural and rural development and natural and environmental resources management, and cuts across a range of country initiatives, including poverty reduction, food security, and the redress of regional disparities. 4. STRUCTURE OF THE MODULES BELONGING TO THE TRAINING PATH Readers attention is drawn to various practical expressions of decentralization in agricultural and rural development, including country efforts at: reform of agricultural services; natural resource management and environmental protection; and development or refinement of planning and management processes. These have been selected as sub-themes to be covered in various modules of the training path. The training path consists of: 2 The plethora of policy reform labels associated with these include: economic liberalisation, market economics, market reform, pivatisation, divestment, decontrol, deregulation of economic activities and devolution.

7 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development 3 three modules providing a thematic overview of the main theme Decentralized Development in Agriculture, and two related sub-themes; two sets of modules of a conceptual and technical nature on specific topics within each sub-theme; The structure of the entire training path on decentralization and agricultural development is illustrated in Figure 1, below. Here you will find the list of modules belonging to the training path Decentralization and Agricultural Development: Thematic Overview Modules EASYPol Module 011: Decentralized Development in Agriculture: Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development EASYPol Module 012: Decentralized Development in Agriculture: An Overview EASYPol Module 013: Decentralization and Agricultural Development: Decentralization of Agricultural Services EASYPol Module 016: Environment in Decentralized Decision Making: An Overview Conceptual and Technical Material Modules Decentralization of Agricultural Services EASYPol Module 014: Decentralization of Agricultural Services: Decentralization of Rural Financial Services EASYPol Module 015: Decentralization of Agricultural Services: Decentralization of Input Supply and Marketing Services Environment in Decentralized Decision Making EASYPol Module 017: Environment in Decentralized Decision Making: Economic Rationale in Caring for the Environment

8 4 EASYPol Module 011 Thematic Overview Figure 1 - Structure of modules included in the training path: Decentralized development in agriculture Linkages between main theme and subthemes EASYPol Module 011 Decentralized Development in Agriculture: Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development Level 1: Thematic Overview Level 2: Conceptual and Technical Materials Main-theme EASYPol Module 012 Decentralized Development in Agriculture: An Overview Sub-themes EASYPol Module 013 Decentralization and Agricultural Development: Decentralization of Agricultural Services EASYPol Module 016 Environment in Decentralized Decision Making Modules EASYPol Module 014 Decentralization of Agricultural Services: Decentralization of Rural Financial Services Services EASYPol Module 015 Decentralization of Agricultural Services: Decentralization of Input Supply and Marketing Modules EASYPol Module 017 Environment in Decentralized Decision Making

9 Decentralization and Agricultural Development Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development 5 Module metadata 1. EASYPol module Title in original language English French Spanish Other language 3. Subtitle in original language Decentralization and Agricultural Development Décentralisation et développement agricole English Introduction to the Training Path on Decentralization and Agricultural Development" French Spanish Other language 4. Summary Introduction à la formation en "Décentralisation et développement agricole" This module is an introduction to the training path "Decentralization and agricultural development". It summarizes the structure and content of the training path and provides the background and context of decentralisation and its relevance to agriculture. This training path could be of interest to policy analysts and decision makers, development practitioners, training institutions, and media. Ce module introduit le parcours de formation en "Décentralisation et développement agricole". Il présente la structure et le contenu des modules qui le compose et situe le concept dans le contexte du développement en mettant l'accent sur sa pertinence dans le cadre du développement agricole. Ce parcours pourrait intéresser les analysts des politiques, les décideurs, institutes de formation et media. 5. Date November Author(s) K.C. Lai, Consultant, Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO, Rome, Italy. Vito Cistulli, Agricultural Policy Support Service, Policy Assistance Division, FAO, Rome, Italy. 7. Module type Thematic overview Conceptual and technical materials Analytical tools Applied materials Complementary resources 8. Topic covered by the module Agriculture in the macroeconomic context Agricultural and sub-sectoral policies Agro-industry and food chain policies Environment and sustainability Institutional and organizational development Investment planning and policies Poverty and food security Regional integration and international trade Rural Development

10 6 EASYPol Module 011 Thematic Overview 9. Subtopics covered by the module 10. Training path Decentralization and agricultural development 11. Keywords