Economics Policy Workshop Paper (1st): The Economics of Agricultural Intensification

摘要

The paper captures the essential results of a 1981 four-day workshop on agricultural intensification attended by more than 100 people who heard 35 papers presented. Significant consensus was reached on several key points: (1) Egypt faces a food gap crisis of serious proportions as demand for food is increasing rapidly but production growth has stagnated. (2) Since Egypt has very little potential to expand either land or water resources, intensification of existing agriculture is necessary to avert the food crisis. (3) Farmers, therefore, must be given proper incentives. (4) Progress must be made toward dismantling the worst of the market distortions imposed an agricultural by the government. (5) Economic success for the nation is impossible without a strong agricultural sector. (6) Agricultural research must also be intensified.