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Problems and Challenges in Reforming International Agricultural Economics
Author(s) -
Hedley Douglas D.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
canadian journal of agricultural economics/revue canadienne d'agroeconomie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.505
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1744-7976
pISSN - 0008-3976
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7976.1993.tb03760.x
Subject(s) - interdependence , premise , human capital , scope (computer science) , sustainability , multidisciplinary approach , economics , agriculture , political science , engineering ethics , business , economic growth , engineering , law , computer science , biology , programming language , ecology , philosophy , linguistics
Summary Starting from the premise that the agricultural economics profession is defined primarily by the range of problems on which it works, as opposed to the initial or developmental training of the individuals, the traditional analyses base narrowly on the neoclassical paradigm are increasingly insufficient for the problems commonly found in the agri‐food industry. Two areas in which the profession is particularly weak are the economics and evolution of institutions, and the human capital component in economic development. For the latter, it includes both matching training to the nature and scope of problems facing individuals and the economics of human capital development and maintenance for a viable and growing agri‐food industry. As well, new areas of endeavour such as environmental sustainability and property rights associated with biotechnology offer opportunity for leadership from the profession. Finally, with increasingly complex and interdependent problems in the agri‐food sector, as well as the need to integrate processes for change into the analytical tool kit of the profession, the concept of strategic linkages across disciplines and professions will need to be pursued. Without such a multidisciplinary interdisciplinary approach, professional analysis founded narrowly on the neoclassical paradigm defeats the problem solving strength the profession has nurtured