Contenu du sommaire : Agriculture et développement

Microfinance, financial inclusion policies and agricultural credit : Evidence from India and Mexico Access to credit for small farmers is a major challenge in securing or even increase agricultural production. That this access is either difficult or impossible for farmers in developing countries. Yet the majority of peasants in developing countries are still excluded from the banking system. Based on two case studies, Mexico and India, the article shows that public policy of financial inclusion implemented in both countries tend to reduce regional inequalities between rural and urban areas but fail to offer an adequate alternative to financing agriculture. They tend to promote rural finance non-agricultural activities through diversification of activities at the expense of agricultural production.

Alternative instruments for covering climatic risks in agriculture : an opportunity for developing countries ? This paper provides an overview of the issue of insurance against climatic risks in agriculture. We first discuss the reasons of market incompleteness and its consequences on social welfare and development. Then we consider existing and forthcoming solutions, with a particular focus on both the desirability of government intervention and the opportunities offered by alternative instruments for covering climatic risks such as climatic index insurance.

Different land tenure regimes around the world. The case of Latin America Land is unequally distributed between human beings around the world. Large amounts of land are still underused. Recently, land grabs, land concentration and the expansion of large capitalist farms have accelerated and threatened family farms in many places. Latin America is one of the continent most concerned. An analysis of its colonial and postcolonial history, and of the competition between large farms and peasants for the control of virgin lands, highlights the importance of the nature of land property rights.

Hybrid governance and viability of large irrigation systems. The case of Niger In Niger, during the 1980s, management responsibilities of large irrigation systems have been transferred from the State to the peasant organisations. This article aims to analyse the dynamics of the construction of new local management rules and their sustainability. The analysis is based on the notion of “hybrid governance”, a process embedded in the social structure which allows producers to have access to water, but does not necessarily guarantee the infrastructure's technical-economic viability.

Inequality, development and environmental quality : Theoretical issues and empirical analysis This article aims at analyzing the relationship between inequality and pollution. First, it proposes a survey which shows that a decrease in inequality has a harmful effect on environment because of multiple mechanisms. Second, we propose an econometric analysis based on panel data for developing and transition countries during the period 1988-2003. More precisely, we examine the effect of inequality on air pollution (CO2 and SO2 emissions) and on organic water pollution.

Effectiveness and equity of conservation contracts in Madagascar : The case of Didy In the new forest policy, the role of local stakeholders was strengthened. But this approach was recently questioned, a different approach was suggested : payment for environmental services through conservation contracts. Do the latters contribute more to the sustainable development of the country ? Under what conditions can they be effective as well as economically, ecologically and socially fair ? According to what cultural and social referents should this efficiency and equity evaluated ?

Research and Development, diffusion, adoption and productivity growth : case of tunisian manufacturing sector This article generally examines the relationship between R&D and economic growth taking as an example of application the case of Tunisia. The results at the level of manufacturing industry sector have shown that Tunisia is able to benefit from the spillovers of R&D through the North-South cooperation programs. However, international trade as well as the intra-industry trade and the Foreign Direct Investments don't seem to be a vector of technological diffusion. This can be explained essentially by the weakness of the national absorption capacities at the manufacturing level which, in its turn, can be explained by the inefficiency of the Tunisian educational systems.

Appropriation of information and communication technologies by the Arab countries : difficulties of adoption or source of development ? This paper treats the problematic of the “digital divide” between the Arab countries. Empirical study shows that relation between Gross National Income and human capital (independent variables) and diffusion of ICT - dependent variable - is statistically significant. While analysing as well the factors which delayed the development of the Arab society of information as well as the main characteristics of the adoption of TIC by the Arab States, this article shows finally how these countries can take advantage of these technologies as a source of economic development.

Industrial production of space in Morocco : what's territorial strategy ? The article analyses the Moroccan Emergence Programme for industrial development through production of space. It shows five different logics between which articulations are marked with paradoxes. As a part of a longterm evolution of public policies, the Emergence Programme can be carrying important institutional changes.