Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research
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Item Vegetable production technical efficiency and technology gaps in Ghana(African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2019) Tsiboe, F.; Asravor, J.; Osei, E.This study characterizes the nature of the vegetable production shortfall throughout Ghana for remedial action to be taken. By applying the meta-stochastic frontier analysis to a sample of okra, pepper, and tomato farmers, the results show that the ranking of production inputs in production is in the order of the land, hired labor, fertilizer, pesticide, and family labor. Furthermore, the results also suggest that vegetable production is characterized by diseconomies of scale. Technical efficiency for okra, pepper, and tomato farmers in Ghana is estimated at 54%, 74%, and 58% respectively, and this has generally increased for okra and pepper but remained stable for tomato. Technology gaps are close to non-existent for pepper cultivation, modest for tomato, and severe for okra. This implies that, whilst there is no potential for production gain from redistributing pepper technology throughout Ghana, there is limited potential for tomato and substantial potential for okra. Pepper farmers could potentially benefit from managerial improvements.Item The Recent Growth Resurgence in Africa and Poverty Reduction: The Context and Evidence(Journal of African Economies, 2018) Fosu, A.K.While economic growth in Africa has resurged substantially since the mid-to-late In the 1990s, the amount of poverty reduction seems much less spectacular. Building on other studies, the paper explores the translation of the recent growth to poverty reduction using 1985–2013 PovcalNet (World Bank) data. It assesses the relative abilities of various panel-data methodologies to predict poverty changes based on income inequality decompositions. Surprisingly, SYSGMM performs substantially worse than Fixed Effects and Random Effects. The analysis is conducted for both the $1.25 and $2.00 poverty lines, and for the ‘spread’ and ‘depth’ of poverty, as well as for the usual popular measure, the headcount ratio. Although income growth appears to be the main force behind poverty reduction in Africa, the decomposition reveals striking differences, across countries and poverty measures, concerning the relative roles of inequality and incomeItem Poverty, inequality and governance: A global perspective(Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 2023) Fosu, A.K.; Gafa, D.W.Abstract This chapter examines poverty and inequality linkages and the role of governance within a global context. It first presents an overview of the global and regional trends in poverty and inequality. Second, the chapter briefly discusses the theoretical relationships among growth, poverty and inequality, as well as the role of governance in the linkages. Third, it provides quantitative evidence on the implications of inequality for poverty reduction, and on the importance of governance. Consistent with previous studies, the chapter shows that the world has made tremendous progress on poverty and inequality over the past three decades. Poverty reduction was primarily driven by income growth and, in roughly one-half of the global sample, changes in income distribution played a complementary role. These factors, however, differ substantially across countries in their relative roles in explaining the progress on poverty. Finally, the chapter uncovers that the quality of governance matters in the fight against poverty, but mostly in its ability to accentuate the responsiveness of poverty to changes in income and/or in inequality. Furthermore, among the governance/institutional measures considered, government effectiveness clearly stands out as the most potent for poverty reduction.Item Informalization, the informal economy and Urban women's livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s(The Gendered Impacts of Liberalization, 2009-01) Tsikata, D.This chapter examines urban women’s livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa within the context of economic liberalization, the growing informalization of labour relations and an exponential growth of the informal economy. While historically much of the urban labour force has operated within the informal economy and its interface with the formal, the particular processes of informalization since the economic liberalization of the 1980s are worthy of attention because their impacts on the character, structure and quality of Africa’s urban economies and livelihoods have been signifi cant. Livelihoods in most of Africa are rural, agrarian and household-based and employ traditional technologies. However, the rapid pace of urbanization and the exponential growth of aspects of the urban informal economy underscore its increasing importance. Urban women’s livelihoods are of particular interest because they best illustrate the segmentation and workings of the informal economy. The differences in women’s and men’s location also have a bearing on gender inequalities in the wider economy and society.Item Agricultural diversification, food self-sufficiency and food security in ghana-the role of infrastructure and institutions(African Smallholders: Food Crops, Markets and Policy, 2013-01) Dzanku, F.M.; Sarpong, D.Food self-sufficiency has been an important policy objective of many nations, including Ghana. Its importance as a policy priority has diminished over time, as food security became a more appealing policy orientation. Self-sufficiency suggests that a nation produces at least all its food needs, while food security implies the availability and physical access to food by the population, irrespec- tive of whether or not it is produced within the country (Thomson and Metz, 1998). At the household level, economic rationality suggests that resources should be allocated optimally to the production of commodities for which returns are highest. Income generated from trading these commodities could then be used to purchase other food needs. If agricultural diversification is defined as the increasing allocation of household resources to the production of non-staples relative to food staples, then households would diversify, given that the returns to land and labour are higher for the production of non-staples than for food staples (Fafchamps, 1992; von Braun, 1994; Goletti, 1999; Govereh and Jayne, 2003; Joshi et al., 2003; Weinberger and Lumpkin, 2007; Shome, 2009). But it is documented that many farm households, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), are subsistent or semi-subsistent producers, which implies an inclination towards self-sufficiency in food production (de Janvry et al., 1991; Finkelshtain and Chalfant, 1991; Fafchamps, 1992; Jayne, 1994; von Braun, 1994, 1995; Govereh and Jayne, 2003; Di Falco and Chavas, 2009).Item The economy of Ghana: Analytical perspectives on stability, growth & poverty(The Economy of Ghana: Analytical Perspectives on Stability, Growth and Poverty, 2010-01) Aryeetey, E.; Kanbur, R.An Analysis of the direction in which Ghana’s policy makers will need to steer the economy for Ghana to fulfil the promise of its independence over 50 years ago. As Ghana enters its second half-century there is a widespread perception of failure of the economic and political system in delivering improved living standards to the population. As Ghana enters its second half-century there is a widespread perception of failure of the economic and political system in delivering improved living standards to the population. This failure comes despite a solid transition to democracy, despite a recorded recovery from the economic malaise of previous decades and despite a reduction on measured levels of poverty. The contributors in this book analyse the reasons for this failure and sets out an analytical agenda as the basis of the course that the nations’ policy makers will have to steer if Ghana is to fulfil the promise of its independence in 1957. ERNEST ARYEETEY is Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social & Economic Research, University of Ghana at Legon; RAVI KANBUR is Professor of Economics at Cornell University. The contributors include: Ernest Aryeetey, Ravi Kanbur, Tony Killick, Augustin Fosu, Charles E. Youngblood, David L. Franklin, Stephen Kyereme, Frank W. Agbola, Susanna Wolf, Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Peter Quartey, Theresa Blankson, Thierry Buchs, Johan Mathiesen, William F. Steel, David O. Andah, Harold Coulombe, Anthony Tsekpo, Charles D. Jebuni, Andy Mckay, Nii K.Sowa, Kojo Appiah-Kubi, Abena Oduro, Bernadin Senadza, Felix A. Asante, Joseph R.A. Ayee, Kwabena Gyimah-Brempong, Elizabeth N. Appiah, Niels-Hugo Blunch, G.J.M. Van Den Boom, N.N.N. Nsowah-Nuamah, and, G.B. Overbosch. © James Currey Ltd 2007.Item Testing global interdependence: Issues on trade, aid, migration and development(Global Development Network series, 2007-04) Aryeetey, E.; Dinello, N.While many countries may embrace globalization at the conceptual level, the specifics of implementation vary greatly from country to country. Testing Global Interdependence poses such questions as: How is openness exercised? How does a country join the international globalization trend? What mechanisms are available to help societies adjust to globalization? The book draws upon the diverse experiences of multiple countries as they react to the practicalities of globalization and succeeds in discovering the gains resulting from particular trade policies, anti-poverty measures, migration patterns and foreign aid packages. The diverse narratives contained within the book ultimately suggest how to limit globalization's negative aspects and ensure constructive engagement in the global community. © Ernest Aryeetey and Natalia Dinello 2007. All rights reserved.