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The Economic Transformation

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Agricultural Development and Economic Transformation

Abstract

The economic transformation is the overriding feature of economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. The transformation is from a predominantly rural and agricultural nation to one that is predominantly urban with urban industry and services dominating the economy. It is accompanied by a demographic transition. The population growth rate first accelerates then slows and eventually declines. Health and life expectancy improve greatly. The many factors determining these two transformations are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Crist et al. (2017) make the case for “eventually reversing population growth,” on the grounds of the already out of hand reduction in biodiversity with large spread effects. That would strongly reinforce the poverty reduction relationships discussed in this chapter. They also document the sharp decline in emphasis on reduced population growth rates attributing that in part to the view that the green revolution reduced the urgency of feeding an increased population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    John W. Mellor

  2. John Mellor Associates, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    John W. Mellor

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  1. John W. Mellor
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Mellor, J.W. (2017). The Economic Transformation. In: Agricultural Development and Economic Transformation. Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65259-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65259-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-65258-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-65259-7

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