Land, Poverty and Livelihoods in an Era of Globalization: Perspectives from Developing and Transition Countries(Routledge ISS Studies in Rural Livelihoods)

A host of internationally eminent scholars are brought together here to explore the structural causes of rural poverty and income inequality, as well as the processes of social exclusion and political subordination encountered by the peasantry and rural workers across a wide range of countries. This volume examines the intersection of politics and economics and provides a critical analysis and framework for the study of neo-liberal land policies in the current phase of globalization. Utilizing new empirical evidence from ten countries, it provides an in-depth analysis of key country studies, a comparative analysis of agrarian reforms and their impact on rural poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America and transition countries. Presenting an agrarian reform policy embedded in an appropriate development strategy, which is able to significantly reduce and hopefully eliminate rural poverty, this work is a key resource for postgraduate students studying in the areas of development economics, development studies and international political economy.

Table of Contents:
1. Agrarian Reform and Rural Development: Historical Overview and Current Issues 2. Bolivia’s Unfinished Agrarian Reform: Rural Poverty and Development Policies 3. Agrarian Reform and Poverty Reduction: Lessons from Brazil 4. Land, Poverty and State-Society Interaction in the Philippines 5. Land Markets and Rural Livelihoods in Vietnam 6. Land Reform, Rural Poverty and Inequality in Armenia: A Pro-Poor Approach to Land Policies 7. The Land System, Agriculture and Poverty in Uzbekistan 8. Mubarak’s Legacy for Egypt’s Rural Poor: Returning Land to the Landlords 9. Land Reform in Namibia: Issues of Equity and Poverty 10. Untying the Gordian Knot: The Question of Land Reform in Ethiopia 11. Land Policy, Poverty Reduction and Public Action in Zimbabwe 12. Neo-Liberal Globalization, Land and Poverty: Implications for Public Action

About the Author :
A. Haroon Akram-Lodhi is Professor of International Development Studies at Trent University, Peterborough, Canada. Saturnino M. Borras Jr is Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies, St Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cristóbal Kay is Associate Professor of Rural Development and Development Studies at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, the Netherlands.

Review :
"Land, Poverty and Livelihoods is very well-cited and grounded in concrete figures (the perfect source for a graduate student reading list). The introduction is incredibly thorough and didactic, carefully reviewing land reform in theory and practice around the world and over time. And the concluding chapter is an excellent analysis of the implications that the case studies presented in the book have for policy. Altogether, this book is an important source for the contemporary debate over whether and how agrarian reform might work to reduce rural poverty and inequality." Wendy Wolford, UNC Chapel Hill