Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Food Security

In most developing countries, agriculture represents a large proportion of employment and output relative to more industrialized states. Agricultural output is critical for food security needs as well as revenue from marketing and trade. However, few of these countries have completed the transformation from self-sufficiency to market-oriented production. Reliance on unproductive subsistence farming and export of a few agricultural commodities places developing countries at a disadvantaged position in the world, and threatens food security.

However, the complex challenges inherent in developing economies restrict their ability to develop a productive, modern, and sustainable agricultural sector. These include weak infrastructure, poor policies, inadequate incentives, lack of investment, limited use of inputs, and difficulty in accessing financing. African nations in particular must act quickly to remedy these obstacles, as population growth and depletion of natural resources are occurring at a rapid pace.

AIRD economists have spent years analyzing the unique challenges facing developing country agriculture. Our analytical support has identified appropriate and consistent policy strategies for individual countries and regional organizations. AIRD has become a sought-after source for our expertise in the following areas:

• Dynamic comparative advantage analysis and optimal resource allocation in the rural sector.
• Assessment of macro and sectoral impacts of policy on production and marketing incentives.
• Business investment opportunities and constraints in agriculture.
• Biodiversity, biosafety, and biotechnology.
• Commodity market chain analysis.
• Commodity supply and demand evaluation and projection.
• Impact of food aid on agricultural development and food security.
• Global food security modeling.
• Optimal allocation of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
• Quantifying environmental impact of natural resource use.
• Sector investment planning for sustainable agricultural development.