Narrow Results

This study extends the recent debate on the rate of return on cattle rearing in India, triggered by Anagol, Etang, and Karlan (2017) and followed by others, to the Bangladeshi context and finds that the apparent paradox of widespread cattle rearing despite negative returns in India is absent in Bangladesh. We use a nationally representative two-year panel data for rural Bangladesh and find that the average and marginal returns on raising cows and bullocks are positive and high in both 2011 and 2015. We show that appreciation of the value of cattle is the major contributing factor to positive returns. The existence of cattle markets where cattle can be freely traded for slaughter, milk production, or for any other purpose—which is constrained to various degrees in India—is the key to high and positive returns in Bangladesh.

A better understanding of how society anticipates and adapts to future changes is critical to inform impact assessment and to develop timely and well-targeted policies to support adaptation. However, the forward-looking adaptation process remains poorly understood. In this paper we introduce choice experiment as a useful approach to investigate how households prefer to adapt livelihoods ex ante to the economic impact of climate and policy changes. This allows us to frame adaptation decisions within the random utility theory and explicitly quantify the likelihoods of particular adaptation choices given varied attributes of contextual changes and households. We collected data from 162 rural households in three Chinese mountain villages. Overall, households chose primarily to increase efforts in agriculture activities or stick to current livelihood portfolios. The results of a Mixed Logit model indicated that households’ choice of agriculture was certain while their adoption of non-agriculture livelihoods to safeguard the households from future changes. Moreover, several possibilities were evaluated for policy interventions to build adaptive capacity of households and facilitate adaptation. Such measures could, for instance, focus on supporting agricultural inputs, providing access to credit as well as practical skills training.

Amul initiated as an experiment in two villages, collecting 250 kg of milk per day. As the cooperative expanded its branches over the course of its 50-year journey, Amul boasts of more than six million kilograms of milk collection daily.

What had initiated as a process of liberation from the Dairy King, brought a revolutionary transformation across the country. This case provides a vivid example of how a cooperative can become the catalyst for social change and rural development. This case takes us through the journey of Amul, from its dawn period when it was attempting to take root, through its progression along the enterprise life stages and the associated challenges. Insights into the quality of leadership and the farmer/management relationships are its defining characteristic.

The Amul Model narrowed the gap between the producer and the consumer, connecting the dairy farmer to the consumer through its organic network. The success of this model ignited interest across India, where this model was replicated, in essence leading to the White Revolution. The case provides sufficient insights and learnings to develop a framework to comprehend the basic essence of a prosperous social enterprise — factors that make it successful. It is this learning that this case desires to impart to its readership, enhancing interest in this rather lively subject of social enterprises.

The analysis and evaluation of European Rural Development Policy (RDP) is challenging because of its delivery at multiple scales by multiple actors. To address this challenge the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) indicators were introduced. However, these quantitative indicators are limited by data gaps and their inability to address the less tangible aspects of policy performance. In this paper we explore, how to address these limitations through complimentary policy evaluation approaches using evidence from empirical studies. We discuss the strengths and weakness of applying three different quantitative and qualitative evaluation approaches: (1) spatial econometrics; (2) stakeholder analysis; and, (3) qualitative interviews. The findings from the three methods are then triangulated proposing the potential of an integrated methodological approach to inform policy and management. A mixed method approach provides a broader understanding of how policy design, stakeholder's roles, and spatial characteristics impact on implementation and environmental targeting capacity, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the determinants of policy performance.

Gandhi and his socio-economic vision for inclusive development of villages hold particular relevance today. Gandhi had prioritised the growth of rural areas as an integral part of his vision of swaraj yet, after 75 years of India’s independence, our patterns of development have remained confined mainly to eliminating economic barriers, promoting irrigation, agriculture, or farming paying little attention to empowering rural India for self-reliance in issues of drinking water and sanitation and linking these to rural healthcare. It is recently reported that 9 out of 10 people who practice open defecation lived in rural areas (UN Water, 2018: 23–28). Not only defecation but the problem of depleting water resources is equally gigantic. According to India’s NITI Aayog, in 2019, nearly 75 percent of households did not have drinking water on their premises, and about 84 percent of rural households did not have piped water access. Problem accentuates further in terms of food deprivation, hunger and inequality with direct implications for health and sanitation. In this backdrop, this chapter explores the continuing significance of Gandhi’s idea of incorporating sanitation as a focal point of development in rural India. It argues that economic development and social development go hand in hand. The first part elucidates Gandhi’s views on sanitation and why he regarded it as of utmost importance. The second part examines the contemporary discourse of sanitation in India, especially after introducing the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) its linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals for sanitation levels. The third part of the chapter highlights how sanitation policies can be implemented only through a behavioural revolution that demands people’s participation at the grassroots, exactly as Gandhi had advocated.

Social entrepreneurship, a prominent feature of 21st century society, brings innovative solutions to pressing social problems. Social enterprises use understandable and easily implementable ideas. They enroll local change makers. They seize opportunities others miss. India has 40% of the world’s poor. Rural India is lagging in terms of basic facilities of clean water, toilet facilities, education, and medical and health care. The girl child in India is also sidelined in terms of educational opportunities, health and nutrition. Very few women are promoted to top positions on account of the conventional perception of them being family nurturers rather than company leaders. The researchers seek to study how social enterprises can uplift farmers, rural craftsmen and girls in India. The researchers interviewed three entrepreneurs, namely Mustafa Harnesswala (agrotourism), Srikant Gayakwad (Selfie for Cause to promote poor girl child education) and Prasanna Priya Reddy (Saree Story helping skilled weavers fleeced by middlemen). They also accessed secondary sources to study how social enterprises can improve rural India. This study will help other aspiring entrepreneurs understand how they can contribute toward the inclusive growth of the country. It shows how to find opportunities and creatively use resources and technology in order to come up with cost-effective, eco-friendly products and services.