Publication: Making Agriculture Work for the Poor in Timor-Leste
Loading...
Published
2019-06-18
ISSN
Date
2019-07-02
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
About 80 percent of the poor households in Timor-Leste live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. It is therefore widely acknowledged that growth in the agriculture sector is an important channel through which poverty can be reduced in the country. That notwithstanding, the country’s agricultural production system is one of the least developed in the world and all subsectors are dominated by subsistence systems and by farmers who are very risk averse. Agricultural productivity in the country is also well below that of other small island developing states and has fallen below the average for other low-income, food-deficit countries in recent years making the sector underperform in terms of its contribution to food security, sufficient livelihood, and overall economic growth. Using data from the 2007 and 2014 of the Timor-Leste Survey of Living Standards, the note provides insight into the extent to which increases in agricultural productivity can contribute to poverty reduction, including assessing the drivers of, and identifying the constraints to, increasing agricultural productivity in the country. The note finds that improvements in agricultural productivity reduce the probability of being poor among agricultural households. Yet, improving productivity goes beyond the confines of raising yield or decreasing cost to include enhancing food quality and promoting higher value products. To do so, the following factors ought to be considered: facilitation of mechanization, improvement in the use of chemical (fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides) inputs, enhancement in access to credit and extension, encouragement to farmers to join farmer groups, expansion of the commercialization of farm produce, and reduction in the gender gap in agricultural productivity. Investment in the sector can be improved by allocating the limited public funds more strategically and better correspond with local poverty. The findings from this study contribute to existing evidence pertinent to guide how agricultural policy can effectively help reducing poverty in the country.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2019. Making Agriculture Work for the Poor in Timor-Leste. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32017 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Making Agriculture Work for the Poor in Timor-Leste(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-07-29)With about 80 percent of poor households in Timor-Leste dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, it is widely acknowledged that growth in the agriculture sector is an important channel for poverty reduction in the country. That notwithstanding, the country’s agricultural production system is one of the least developed in the world, with the sector’s productivity being well below that of other small island developing states and below the average for other low-income states. Using data from the 2007 and 2014 waves of the Timor-Leste Surveys of Living Standards, this paper provides insight into the extent to which increases in agricultural productivity can contribute to poverty reduction, and assesses the drivers of and constraints to increasing agricultural productivity in the country. The findings show that improvements in agricultural productivity reduce the probability of being poor among agricultural households. The paper also finds that for agricultural productivity to increase, the following factors should be considered: facilitation of farm mechanization, improvement in the use of chemical (fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides) inputs, enhancement of access to credit and extension, encouragement to farmers to join farmer groups, expansion of the commercialization of farm produce, and reduction in the gender gap in agricultural productivity.Publication Timor-Leste - Oecusse Economic and Trade Potential(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-05)This report responds to a request from the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) and Dr. Mari Alkatiri. The request was for World Bank assistance to collaborate on a range of studies relating to opportunities in the special economic zone, including community development, trade and competitiveness, and regional integration. The analysis builds on a situation analysis prepared by the Zona Especial de Economia Social de Mercado (ZEESM) authority in March 2014. The transfer of significant responsibility for Oecusse’s development to the ZEESM authority, reflects a political rapprochement and collaboration between Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and Dr. Alkatiri. The report is in two volumes. Volume one presents an overview of Oecusse’s current state in chapter one with analysis of living standards, economic activity including trade, and current constraints. Chapter two analyzes Oecusse’s phased economic potential through a range of phase one development interventions focusing on agriculture, and considers the pre-requisites for developing an SEZ in Oecusse. Volume two contains more comprehensive background chapters with full analysis of living standards in chapter three, agriculture in chapter four, transport corridor in chapter five, and migration in chapter six.Publication Priorities for the Development of Smallholder Agriculture in Swaziland(Washington, DC, 2011-06-27)The purpose of this policy note is to contribute to an understanding of the factors that combine to constrain the development of smallholder agriculture in Swaziland. It seeks to shed light on why, despite being well-endowed in land and water resources, and despite having a climate that is generally favorable for the production of crops and livestock, Swaziland is obliged to import substantial amounts of food to feed the population. Also, why, in spite of the significant investments that have made in the agricultural sector and in spite of the extensive farming experience of the 70 percent of the population that lives off the land, smallholder farm productivity and production have been declining over time. Finally, the policy notes identify priority areas where strategic interventions are needed to turn things around and get smallholder agriculture going as a driver of growth and poverty reduction. This note provides an overview of smallholder agriculture in Swaziland, identifes constraints that may be contributing to poor performance in the smallholder sector, and evaluates technological options that could improve productivity of smallholder farmers. In addition, it summarizes the findings of a recent review of public spending on agriculture, undertaken to identify trends and patterns in agricultural spending over the last five years and to determine whether the government's budget allocations have been effective in supporting the intended development of smallholder agriculture. After addressing these questions, the policy note points to entry points where future government interventions could help to reverse the current negative trends.Publication Kyrgyz Republic - Agricultural Policy Update : Sustaining Pro-poor Rural Growth, Rural Challenges for Government and Donors(Washington, DC, 2004-11-01)Critical choices must now be made if growth is to be sustained. Significant potential exists for future growth, but bringing out this potential poses a major challenge for government policy. Agricultural strategy must shift its focus towards support for continuous productivity growth by peasant farms in a conducive marketing environment. Key priorities include completion of land reforms (especially in the North); fundamental restructuring and reorientation of public agricultural services, with greater emphasis on private service delivery and cost recovery; and a shift in agricultural public expenditures toward support for private commodity markets and private-sector based systems for technology transfer. In addition, irrigation rehabilitation, operation and maintenance, and cost recovery should continue to receive attention and support. These measures will need to be complemented by broader rural development measures - most importantly the rehabilitation of basic infrastructure in rural areas - in a manner that supports the Government's policy of fiscal and administrative decentralization. Development of rural infrastructure that is locally planned, financed, and maintained, will contribute to both farm and rural non-farm development over the medium and long-term. This report notes discusses the unfinished agenda that must be completed, and is organized as follows: Chapter 1 provides the background and sums up the issues to be fleshed out. Chapter 2 describes the structural changes that have occurred in agriculture and in rural households since 1995, the sources of agricultural growth, and constraints to future growth. Chapter 3 discusses agriculture in the broader context of rural household incomes and livelihoods. The final chapter identifies policies and sector strategies conducive to pro-poor growth, and evaluates the role of public expenditures in advancing the growth agenda.Publication Timor-Leste Health Sector Review : Meeting Challenges and Improving Health Outcomes(Washington, DC, 2006-10-06)The Timor-Leste health sector review describes the accomplishments made by the government of Timore-Leste in the health sector since it separated from Indonesia, and analyzes the challenges still facing the government moving forward. Infant and maternal mortality, and malnutrition, are still important battles. Underutilization of services, and poor quality of services when available, are also reasons for the poor health quality indicators. Improving the quality or effectiveness of health services is difficult. However, now that most of the basic health care infrastructure is in place, the time is right for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to develop a system to monitor and upgrade the quality of health care services, starting with public sector services. One initiative put forth is health education delivered through various channels, which would make households better aware of the risks associated with certain health conditions or symptoms and the importance of using the available health services from government and NGO facilities. A second type of potential intervention is the introduction of conditional cash transfers, whereby the Government pays a subsidy to households in exchange for certain behaviors beneficial to society, such as having their children immunized. Carrying out the various interventions described above would require that the Government increased its spending on health services further.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-11)After several years of negative shocks, global growth is expected to hold steady in 2024 and then edge up in the next couple of years, in part aided by cautious monetary policy easing as inflation gradually declines. However, economic prospects are envisaged to remain tepid, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Risks to the outlook, while more balanced, are still tilted to the downside, including the possibility of escalating geopolitical tensions, further trade fragmentation, and higher-for-longer interest rates. Natural disasters related to climate change could also hinder activity. Subdued growth prospects across many emerging market and developing economies and continued risks underscore the need for decisive policy action at the global and national levels. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.Publication Ukraine Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4), February 2022 – December 2024(World Bank, Government of Ukraine, European Union, United Nations, 2025-03-04)As of December 31, 2024, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to have profound physical, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts, which will be felt for generations. This fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA4) - undertaken jointly by the World Bank Group, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations, with support from other partners—takes stock of almost three years of the ongoing invasion, estimating damage and losses along with recovery and reconstruction needs for 10 years. Beyond the physical and financial impacts that are more readily quantified, the RDNA4 provides a qualitative description of how people’s lives have been dramatically altered since February 2022. RDNA4 builds on the previous three Rapid Damage and Needs Assessments (RDNA1, RDNA2, and RDNA3), which respectively covered the first three months, first year, and the first 22 monthsPublication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-05-21)This report provides an up-to-date overview of existing and emerging carbon pricing instruments around the world, including international, national, and subnational initiatives. It also investigates trends surrounding the development and implementation of carbon pricing instruments and some of the drivers seen over the past year. Specifically, this report covers carbon taxes, emissions trading systems (ETSs), and crediting mechanisms. Key topics covered in the 2024 report include uptake of ETSs and carbon taxes in low- and middle- income economies, sectoral coverage of ETSs and carbon taxes, and the use of crediting mechanisms as part of the policy mix.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.