Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T08:00:10.070Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Striving for growth, bypassing the poor? A critical review of Rwanda's rural sector policies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2008

An Ansoms
An Ansoms*
Affiliation:
Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp, Lange Sint-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
*
Email: an.ansoms@ua.ac.be
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Equity is complementary to the pursuit of long-term prosperity. Greater equity is doubly good for poverty reduction. It tends to favour sustained overall development, and it delivers increased opportunities to the poorest groups in a society. (François Bourguignon, speech at the launching of the World Development Report, 2006)

This paper studies the Rwandan case to address some of the challenges and pitfalls in defining pro-poor strategies. The paper first looks at the danger of a purely growth-led development focus (as in Rwanda's first PRSP), and evaluates the extent to which the agricultural sector has been a pro-poor growth engine. It then studies Rwanda's current rural policies, which aim to modernise and ‘professionalise’ the rural sector. There is a high risk that these rural policy measures will be at the expense of the large mass of small-scale peasants. This paper stresses that the real challenge to transform the rural sector into a true pro-poor growth engine will be to value and incorporate the capacity and potential of small-scale ‘non-professional’ peasants into the core strategies for rural development. The lessons drawn from the Rwandan case should inspire policy makers and international donors worldwide to shift their focus away from a purely output-led logic towards distribution-oriented rural development policies. In other words, the challenge is to reconcile efficiency in creating economic growth with equity, and perhaps, to put equity first.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 1 - 32
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abdulai, A. & CroleRees, A. 2001. ‘Determinants of income diversification amongst rural households in Southern Mali’, Food Policy 26, 4: 437–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adams, R. H. 2004. ‘Economic growth, inequality and poverty: estimating the growth elasticity of poverty’, World Development 32, 12: 1989–2014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Agriculture PRSC Policy Matrix. 2005. April 2006. <http://www.devpartners.gov.rw/clusters/Rural_Dev>..>Google Scholar
André, C. & Platteau, J. P.. 1998. ‘Land relations under unbearable stress: Rwanda caught in the Malthusian trap’, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 34: 1–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ansoms, A. 2005. ‘Resurrection after civil war and genocide: growth, poverty and inequality in post-conflict Rwanda’, European Journal of Development Research 17, 3: 495–508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ansoms, A. 2007. ‘How successful is the Rwandan PRSP? Recent evolutions of growth, poverty and inequality briefing’, Review of African Political Economy 111: 371–9.Google Scholar
Ansoms, A. & Verschueren, J.. 2007. ‘Shifts in power, new elites, and new socio-economic disparities: the political economy of post-genocide Rwanda compared with post-Apartheid South Africa’, unpublished paper, conference on ‘Enforcing Democracy in Fragmented Societies’, 19–21.9.2007, Cape Town.Google Scholar
Blarel, B., Hazell, Place, P. F. & Quiggin, J.. 1992. ‘The economics of farm fragmentation: evidence from Ghana and Rwanda’, World Bank Economic Review 6, 2: 233–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byerlee, D., Diao, X. & Jackson, C.. 2005. ‘Agriculture, rural development, and pro-poor growth: country experiences in the post-reform era’, Agriculture and Rural Development Discussion Paper, No. 21. Washington, DC: World Bank.Google Scholar
Cassimon, D. & Marysse, S.. 2001. ‘Evolution socio-économique au Rwanda et au Burundi (2000–2001) et la politique financière internationale’, in Marysse, S. & Reyntjens, F., eds. L'Afrique des Grands Lacs: Annuaire 2000–2001. Paris: L'Harmattan.Google Scholar
Christiaensen, L. & Demery, L.. 2007. Down to Earth: agriculture and poverty reduction in Africa. Washington, DC: World Bank.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deininger, K. & Squire, L.. 1998. ‘New ways of looking at old issues: inequality and growth’, Journal of Development Economics 57, 2: 259–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delgado, C. L., Hopkins, J. & Kelly, V. A.. 1998. ‘Agricultural growth linkages in sub-Saharan Africa’, IFPRI Research Report 107. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.Google Scholar
De Janvry, A. & Sadoulet, E.. 1996. ‘Growth, inequality and poverty in Latin America: a causal analysis 1970–94’. Working Paper 784. Berkeley, CA: University of California.Google Scholar
Des Forges, A. 2006. ‘Land in Rwanda: winnowing out the chaff’, in Reyntjens, F. & Marysse, S. eds. L'Afrique des Grands Lacs: Annuaire 2005–2006: Dix ans de transitions conflictuelles. Paris: L'Harmattan.Google Scholar
Draft minutes of the Rural Development Cluster meeting on 25.01.2006. Kigali.Google Scholar
Evans, A., Piron, Curran, L. H. Z. & Driscoll, R.. 2006. Independent evaluation of Rwanda's Poverty Reduction Strategy 2002–2005 (PRSP1), Final Report. Brighton & London: IDS & ODI.Google Scholar
FAO. 2007. Nutritive Factors. <http://www.fao.org/es/ess/xxx.asp>..>Google Scholar
Feder, G. & Nishio, A.. 1998. ‘The benefits of land registration and titling: economic and social perspectives’, Elsevier Science 15, 1: 25–43.Google Scholar
Food Security Research Project [FSRP]. 2000–2002. Agricultural dataset.Google Scholar
Foster, J., Greer, J. & Thorbecke, E.. 1984. ‘A class of decomposable poverty measures’, Econometrica 52, 3: 761–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallup, J. L., Radelet, S. & Warner, A.. 1999. ‘Economic growth and the income of the poor’, CAER II Discussion Paper No. 36. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Institute for International Development.Google Scholar
Government of Rwanda [GoR]. 2000. Vision 2020. Kigali: Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.Google Scholar
GoR. 2001a. Enquête Intégrale sur les Conditions de Vie de ménages 2001.Google Scholar
GoR. 2001b. Participatory Poverty Assessment. Kigali: National Poverty Reduction Programme, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.Google Scholar
GoR. 2002. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. Kigali: National Poverty Reduction Programme, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.Google Scholar
GoR. 2004a. National Agricultural Policy. Kigali: Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.Google Scholar
GoR. 2004b. Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation in Rwanda. Kigali: Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.Google Scholar
GoR. 2004c. National Land Policy. Kigali: Ministry of Lands Environment, Forests, Water and Mines.Google Scholar
GoR. 2005a. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper: Annual Progress Report, IMF Country Report No. 05/127. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GoR. 2005b. Organic Law Determining the Use and Management of Land in Rwanda (N° 08/2005 of 14/07/2005), Kigali: Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda.Google Scholar
GoR. 2006a. Preliminary Poverty Update Report: Integrated Living Conditions Survey 2005/06. Kigali: National Institute of Statistics, Rwanda.Google Scholar
GoR. 2006b. Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, and Technical Memorandum of Understanding. 18.5.2007. <www.imf.org>..>Google Scholar
GoR. 2007a. Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 2008–2012. Kigali: Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. Preliminary draft, June.Google Scholar
GoR. 2007b. Letter of Intent, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, and Technical Memorandum of Understanding. 10.01.2007. <www.imf.org>..>Google Scholar
Irz, X., Lin, L., Thirtle, C. & Wiggins, S.. 2001. ‘Agricultural productivity growth and poverty alleviation’, Development Policy Review 19, 4: 449–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2004a. ‘Rwanda: Joint Staff Assessment of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Annual Progress Report’, IMF Country Report No. 04/274. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2004b. ‘Rwanda: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix’, IMF Country Report No. 04/383. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2005a. ‘Rwanda: Joint Staff Advisory Note of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Annual Progress Report’, IMF Country Report No. 05/174. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2005b. ‘Fifth Review under the Three-Year Arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility’, IMF Country Report No. 05/333. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2006a. ‘Rwanda: Joint Staff Advisory Note of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Annual Progress Report’, IMF Country Report No. 06/246. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMF. 2006b. ‘Sixth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility’, IMF Country Report No. 06/245. Washington, DC: IMF.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jayne, T. S., Yamano, T., Weber, M. T., Tschirley, D., Rui, B. F., Chapoto, A. & Zulu, B.. 2003. ‘Smallholder income and land distribution in Africa: implications for poverty reduction strategies’, Food policy 28, 3: 253–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kakwani, N. & Pernia, E. M.. 2000. ‘What is pro-poor growth?’, Asian Development Review 18, 1: 1–16.Google Scholar
Klasen, S. 2003. ‘In search of the Holy Grail: how to achieve pro-poor growth?’, Ibero-America Institute for Economic Research Discussion Papers, Nr. 96. Göttingen: IAIER.Google Scholar
Kraay, A. 2006. ‘When is growth pro-poor? Evidence from a panel of countries’, Journal of Development Economics 80, 1: 198–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuznets, S. 1973. ‘Modern economic growth: findings and reflections’, American Economic Review 63, 3: 247–58.Google Scholar
Mellor, J. W. 2002a. ‘How much employment can rapid agricultural growth generate? Sectoral policies for maximum impact in Rwanda’, Agricultural Policy Development Project-Research Report No. 13, prepared for the United States Agency for International Development/Rwanda.Google Scholar
Mellor, J. W. 2002b. ‘The impact of agricultural growth on employment in Rwanda: a three-sector model’, Agricultural Policy Development Project-Research Report No. 14, prepared for the United States Agency for International Development/Rwanda.Google Scholar
Mellor, J. W. 2002c. ‘Productivity increasing rural public works: an interim approach to poverty reduction in Rwanda’, Agricultural Policy Development Project-Research Report No. 15, prepared for the United States Agency for International Development/Rwanda.Google Scholar
McKay, A. & Loveridge, S.. 2005. ‘Exploring the paradox of Rwandan agricultural household income and nutritional outcomes in 1990 and 2000’, Staff Paper 2005–06. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University.Google Scholar
Minten, B. & Barrett, C.. 2006. ‘Agricultural technology, productivity, and poverty in Madagascar’, Working Paper 179. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mwabu, G. & Thorbecke, E.. 2004. ‘Rural development, growth and poverty in Africa’, Journal of African Economies 13: 16–65, Supplement 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
New Times. 2007. ‘No ban on sweet potatoes’. Kigali. 26.01.2007.Google Scholar
Niroula, G. S. & Thapa, G. B.. 2005. ‘Impacts and causes of land fragmentation, and lessons learned from land consolidation in South Asia’, Land Use Policy 22, 4: 358–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
OECD. 2006. Promoting Pro-Poor Growth: policy guidance for donors. Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
Page, J. 2006. ‘Strategies for pro-poor growth: pro-poor, pro-growth or both?’, Journal of African Economies 15, 4: 510–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platteau, J. P. 2000. Institutions, Social Norms and Economic Development. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Pottier, J. 1993. ‘Taking stock: food marketing reform in Rwanda, 1982–1989’, African Affairs 92, 366: 5–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pottier, J. 2006. ‘Land reform for peace? Rwanda's 2005 Land Law in context’, Journal of Agrarian Change 6, 4: 509–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pottier, J. & Nkundabashaka, A.. 1992. ‘Intolerable environments: towards a cultural reading of agrarian policy in Rwanda’, in Parkin, J. & Croll, L., eds. Bush Base, Forest Farm. London: Routledge, 146–68.Google Scholar
Pound, R. 1968. Social Control Through Law. Hamden, CT: Archon.Google Scholar
Purcell, R. et al. 2005. Rwanda Final Country Report: Joint Evaluation of General Budget Support 1994–2004. International Development Department, University of Birmingham.Google Scholar
Ravallion, M. 2001. ‘Growth, inequality and poverty: looking beyond averages’, World Development 29, 11: 1803–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ravallion, M. & Chen, S.. 1997. ‘What can new survey data tell us about recent changes in distribution and poverty?’, World Bank Economic Review 11, 2: 357–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ravallion, M. & Chen, S.. 2003. ‘Measuring pro-poor growth’, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 2666. Washington, DC: World Bank.Google Scholar
Ravallion, M. & Datt, G.. 2002. ‘Why has economic growth been more pro-poor in some states of India than others?’, Journal of Development Economics 68, 2: 381–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutagwenda, J. P. 2006. ‘Analyse des performances du budget en agriculture entre 2002–2005’, conference on ‘Revue des performances du PRSP/Agriculture joint sector 2002–2005’, Kigali, 29–30.5.2006.Google Scholar
Ruzindaza, E. 2006. ‘Présentation de la revue du Secteur Agricole 2002–2005’, conference on ‘Revue des performances du PRSP/Agriculture joint sector 2002–2005’, Kigali, 29–30.5.2006.Google Scholar
Thirtle, C., Irz, X., Lin, L., McKenzie-Hill, V. & Wiggins, S.. 2001. ‘Relationship between changes in agricultural productivity and the incidence of poverty in developing countries’, Report to DFID Natural Resources Policy Research Programme, Project R7946.Google Scholar
UNDP. 2007. Turning Vision 2020 into Reality: from recovery to sustainable human development, National Human Development Report Rwanda 2007. Kigali: UNDP.Google Scholar
Verwimp, P. 2000. ‘Peasant ideology and genocide in Rwanda under Habyarimana’. <http://research.yale.edu/ycias/database/files/GS19.pdf>..>Google Scholar
World Bank. 2000. Attacking Poverty, World Development Report 2000/2001. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
World Bank. 2005. Pro-Poor Growth in the 1990s: lessons and insights for 14 countries. Washington, DC: World Bank.Google Scholar
World Bank. 2006a. World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank.Google Scholar
World Bank. 2006b. World Development Indicators, CD-ROM.Google Scholar
Wu, Z. P., Liu, M. Q. & Davis, J.. 2005. ‘Land consolidation and productivity in Chinese household crop production’, China Economic Review 16, 1: 28–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yaro, J. A. 2006. ‘Is deagrarianisation real? A study of livelihood activities in rural northern Ghana’, Journal of Modern African Studies 44, 1: 125–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar