Focusing on former socialist states in Eastern Europe, the contributors disclose the political and physical dangers inherent in field research. They reveal how communities undergo political and economic dislocations, plummeting living standards, and ethnic and nationalist violence.

Focusing on former socialist states in Eastern Europe, the contributors disclose the political and physical dangers inherent in field research. They reveal how communities undergo political and economic dislocations, plummeting living standards, and ethnic and nationalist violence.

In the past fifteen years, most countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have shifted from predominantly collective to more individualized agriculture. These years also have witnessed the largest fall in agricultural production, yields, and rural employment on record, while the deterioration and dissolution of collective and state farms have been accompanied by a significant drop in rural public services. 'Land Reform and Farm Restructuring in Transition Countries' provides a structured and comparative review of important aspects of land reform and...

In the past fifteen years, most countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have shifted from predominantly collective to more individualized agriculture. These years also have witnessed the largest fall in agricultural production, yields, and rural employment on record, while the deterioration and dissolution of collective and state farms have been accompanied by a significant drop in rural public services. 'Land Reform and Farm Restructuring in Transition Countries' provides a structured and comparative review of important aspects of land reform and...

The process of rural-urban transformation presents both opportunities and challenges for development. If managed effectively, it can result in growth that benefits everyone; if managed poorly, it can lead to stark welfare disparities and entire regions cut off from the advantages of agglomeration economies. The importance of rural-urban transition has been confirmed by two consecutive World Development Reports: WDR 2008 Agriculture for Development; and WDR 2009 Reshaping Economic Geography. Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, this book picks up where the WDRs left off,...

Nowhere is the need to generate employment more urgent than in the fragile states of Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, where the majority of the labor force still works in agriculture, the potential of agricultural value chain development has been underexploited. Because value chain development lends itself to a flexible and incremental approach, it appears to be feasible in the absence of well-functioning government institutions. As value chain development involves building and strengthening relationships along the chain of productive and value-adding activities, it also has the potential...