Reimagining Agriculture for Growth, Poverty, Nutrition, and Sustainability

Since the seminal work of Arthur Lewis in the 1950s, the development economics literature has emphasized the structural transformation of the economy marked by a decline in the share of agriculture in the economy's output and employment in the development process. Based on this literature, policy emphasis for growth and development tilted toward manufacturing and other non-agricultural sectors. Lately, there has been a realization that the importance of agriculture for the economy and society is much larger than what is revealed by its share in GDP. Evidence indicates that changes in occupation structure followed changes in output structure with a long-time gap in several countries. This dissonance has serious implications for employment and disparities in per-worker income in agriculture and non-agriculture, further related to poverty. Hunger globally and in many countries has increased after 2015 despite per capita food output increases. Agriculture is also a significant contributor to climate change and unsustainable use of natural resources and, therefore, can play a critical role in combating climate change. It is imperative to reimagine the role of agriculture in development and its contribution to reducing poverty and combating malnutrition and climate change.