Drivers of Sustainable Rural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Central America : Honduras Case Study, Volume 2. Background Papers and Technical Appendices

[摘要] This regional study encompasses threeCentral American countries: Nicaragua, Guatemala, andHonduras. The focus of this report is Honduras. Theobjective of the study is to understand how broad-basedeconomic growth can be stimulated and sustained in ruralCentral America. The study identifies "drivers" ofsustainable rural growth and poverty reduction. Drivers aredefined as the assets and combinations of assets needed bydifferent types of households in different geographicalareas, to take advantage of economic opportunities, andimprove their well-being over time. The study examines therelative contributions of these assets, and seeks toidentify the combinations of productive, social, andlocation-specific assets that matter most to raise incomes,and take advantage of prospects for poverty-reducing growth.It adopts an asset-based conceptual approach, where assetsare defined to include natural, physical, financial, human,social, political, institutional, and location-specificassets, and, focuses on how households deploy their assetswithin the context of policies, institutions, and risks togenerate a set of opportunities. The report further analyzesthe quantity, quality, and productivity of assets needed byhouseholds in different geographical areas, to exercisetheir potential for generating long-term growth andimproving well-being. Findings indicate that while there arewell-defined areas of higher economic opportunity, giventheir underlying agricultural potential, relatively goodaccess to infrastructure, and high population densities,poverty is widespread, and deep in rural Honduras,particularly in hillside areas. And, although agricultureshould form an integral part of the rural growth strategy inhillside areas, despite its limited potential, agriculturealone cannot solve the rural poverty problem, yet, thoseremaining in the sector need to be more efficient,productive and competitive. It is recommended to move fromgeographically untargeted investments in single assets, to amore integrated and geographically based approach of assetenhancement with proper complementarities, such as landaccess and security, technical assistance provision, healthand education services, and strong local level institutions,

[发布日期] 2004-12-31 [发布机构] Washington, DC

[学科分类] 社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

[关键词] AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS;AGRICULTURAL GROWTH;AGRICULTURAL SECTOR;AGRICULTURE;AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES