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This paper explores the policy relevance of the under-development trap hypothesis, which postulates that poor countries are locked in a low equilibrium and that big push policies, involving a large amount of external assistance, would be necessary to lift them out of poverty. It shows that transfers, if not accompanied by structural change, cannot trigger such successful takeoffs. The paper then provides a test to identify countries that may have jumped out of their under-development trap. The test is based on the observation of multiple growth acceleration patterns that should be observed in the case of a successful takeoff. The paper identifies a dozen of such countries in a set of about hundred developing countries for which growth time-series are available from 1950. Comparing these emerging countries with non-emerging countries, it shows that initial education policies have played a critical role in takeoff. External assistance has not played a significant role.JEL Classification: O11

Why increase the independence of the Central Bank of West African States? The answer can be sought in the monetary and institutional evolution of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The advantage would be to increase confidence in the value of the currency and to guarantee the continuity of the economic and monetary integration of West Africa. The feasibility of the reform implies strengthening the collegiality of monetary decisions and the transparency of the management of the Central Bank. It is also necessary to improve the coordination of budgetary and monetary policies, with a view to a stronger and more regular growth of the economies of the Union.JEL Classification : E58, O55, F33, F36.

We examine the consequences of land tenure insecurity on economic growth in Brazil. We use an overlapping generations model with two sectors: an agricultural sector and a manufacturing sector. Land is specific to the agricultural sector and capital goods are specific to the manufacturing sector. Moreover land is a fixed production factor. Saving takes the form of either land or capital goods purchases, and saving composition depends on transaction costs generated by land tenure insecurity. It is shown that land tenure insecurity implies a decrease in land prices and a reallocation of savings in favour of capital goods. Two econometric restrictions can be tested on a panel of the Brazilian federation states: land tenure insecurity has a negative impact on land prices and a positive one on economic growth. Land tenure insecurity is proxied by the number of squatters. These two restrictions are not rejected.JEL Classification: O41, Q15, O54

This paper analyses the strategies of farmers in the Kénédougou province to control African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT). Using economic, entomological, and parasitological data collected by a multidisciplinary team, we operated a binary Logit model to evaluate the probability of choice between animal health professionals and non-professionals. The results show that economic and environmental variables contributed jointly to explain the choice between professionals and non-professionals in the study area. The prevalence of trypanosomosis, and farm size affect positively and significantly the choice of farmers to use an animal health professional. However, farmers in crop production systems, and distance both negatively affect the willingness to use the services of an animal health professional. Pastoral development policies should pay attention to improving economic and geographical access to veterinary drugs in order to mitigate the impact of AAT on the productivity of farms.JEL Classification: D01, D21