productivity Archives - Miriam Altman

Development Paths and Employment

Intensive growth is defined as growth driven by productivity improvements. Productivity improvements are essential for rising incomes and poverty reduction, but can also have the effect of reducing employment ratios. Greater understanding of the role of productivity in development and growth is needed.Davies and van Seventer explore the meaning of intensive and extensive growth paths…

The Economy-Wide Effects of Price-Reducing Reforms in Infrastructure Services in South Africa

Prices of infrastructure services in South Africa may be higher than in other countries because of imperfect competition, non-tariff barriers to trade, or inefficiencies in production. A static computerised general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to analyse the economy-wide effects of reducing telecommunications and transport prices by reforming each of these three factors. This modelling…

Measures to Increase Food Production and Mitigating Against Increased Food Prices: The Malawi Case Study

The economy of Malawi is highly dependent on agricultural production, and development initiatives in the country have mostly relied on better agricultural production. The agricultural sector is largely comprised of smallholder farmers who produce primarily for own production and market only the surplus. As in other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the productivity of the smallholder…

Contribution of Smallholder Production to Food Security: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Matshe explores the contribution of smallholder production to food security in sub-Saharan Africa and relates it to the South African case. Food insecurity is closely linked to the livelihood strategies of small-scale farming households. However, part of what drives food insecurity is poverty, and addressing smallholder food security should include innovations that mitigate internal constraints…

The contribution of subsistence farming to food security in South Africa

Poor households obtain food from markets, subsistence production and transfers. In the past, rural households produced most of their food, while urban households purchased most of theirs. However, both urban and rural households have increased their dependence on market purchases, for up to 90% of their supplies. Consequently, food expenditure can reach 60–80% of total…

The Economy-Wide Effects of Price Reducing Reforms In Infrastructure Services In South Africa

The institutional underpinnings of the unemployment-inflation relationship: a review paper

“Michie examines the institutional underpinnings in the relations between unemployment and inflation. This is a central question for policy makers in solving significant structural unemployment gaps: interventions to stimulate the economy can often lead to inflationary impacts unless the institutional environment enables the required response by firms to invest and ultimately generate more employment. He…