Agricultural Development
| Numbering Code | U-AGR04 2D207 LJ82 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | 2nd year students | Target Student | ||
| Language | Japanese | Day/Period | Wed.3 | |
| Instructor name | ASAMI ATSUYUKI (Graduate School of Agriculture Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | This course will cover the state of agricultural development in developing countries, especially in Asian countries, and theories and methods for solving problems through an economics framework. Once the problems in development have been outlined, we will explain fundamental theories such as the marginal productivity value of labor = wage. Then we will outline the mechanism of agricultural development for each topic. In particular, the course will focus on the role of systems that support economic activities in farm villages and the markets. | |||
| Course Goals |
* To understand and explain economic phenomena related to agricultural development and development economics using basic knowledge of microeconomics. * To understand the mechanisms of nonmarket economies (rural systems) by focusing on market mechanisms and transaction costs in the rural areas of developing countries. * Conduct feedback exercises at the end of the course to check your understanding. |
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| Schedule and Contents |
Lecture 1: Basic issues in economic development: Objectives and challenges for agricultural development Lecture 2: Basics of economic Analysis: The basic theory of economic analysis to explain agricultural development Lecture 3: Vicious cycles of poverty: Why does poverty occur in developing countries? What is the low-level equilibrium trap? Lectures 4 and 5: Theory of a dual economy: Economic development in a dual economic framework of rural and urban areas Lecture 6: Agricultural modernization and landless poverty: Success and failure of mechanisms for the modernization of agriculture based on technological advances and factor substitution Lectures 7 and 8: An Introduction to the Green Revolution and technological progress: How the Green Revolution brought about the modernization of agriculture in developing countries Lectures 9 and 10: Rural economies, systems, and transactions: Specific transaction patterns for rural areas in developing countries, such as tenant farming systems, double-service business relationships, efficient wage transactions, and microfinancing Lecture 11: System and transaction costs: The transaction costs that determine the design of the system Lecture 12: Ownership and tragedy of the commons: An explanation of the key to establishing ownership in the land system using the example of the destruction of Turkey’s public grassland Lecture 13: Institutional changes in rural areas of China: Chinese farming villages’ institutional changes (e.g., traditional farming villages, people's communes, and production responsibility systems) explained using economics Lecture 14: Institutional changes in rural Java: The transformation of communal social rules and labor practices that share poverty in rural Java Lecture 15: Feedback and Exercises: Students will complete exercises based on what they learned in class; the lecturers will provide explanations of the examination issues and answer questions as necessary. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Grading method: Final exam 80%, usual performance score 20% Grading criteria and policies are based on the grading criteria and policies described in the Handbook of the Faculty of Agriculture for the applicable year. The final exam will be explained and questions answered as feedback in the last class. |
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| Course Requirements |
Be interested in agricultural development and rural systems in Asian countries. Be interested in basic knowledge of economics. |
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| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) |
Preview basic knowledge of introductory economics, and use that knowledge to review the phenomena described in the class. Always understand the state of economic development in Asian countries through media, magazines, etc., and gather the latest information. |
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| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | None | ||
| References, etc. | Will be introduced during the lectures. | |||
