Pro-poor growth has been identified as one of the most promising pathways to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or any subsequent set of goals aiming to reduce poverty worldwide. Related research has developed a multitude of instruments to measure pro-poor growth using absolute and...

A procedure is developed to examine the ex-post impacts of improved maize varieties on poverty in rural Ethiopia. Yield and cost effects of adoption are estimated econometrically under assumptions of both homogeneous and heterogeneous treatment effects. A backward derivation procedure is...

The work presents results of a study conducted in 2009 and involving farmers who owned farms of up to 10 hectare located in 2 communes (gminas). The first commune is typically rural (in the Lubelskie Voivodeship) and the other is a multi-function commune. The farmers interviewed in both gminas,...

For the countries of the Central Europe, the regional policy measures which concentrate on the maintenance of the small and medium sized producer’s units and are trying to find solutions to the worsening negative circumstances for the family farms (in the EU-12, 68.5% of farms are regarded as...

The article presents the outcomes of rural dwellers’ migrations in the economic and social aspect. Apart from defining the phenomenon of external migration against the background of current social trends, also a review of motives for migration including the push factors (home country) and the...

The study contains the results of questionnaire surveys conducted in the Pomeranian province after the first year of Polish membership in the European Union. The inspected farms varied in size, from 1.5 ha to 150 ha of agricultural land. Farmers of the Pomeranian province, being asked about the...

In the 1990s, prior to its accession to the WTO, China dramatically reduced market distortions in its agriculture. We use panel data of 10,488 households from 1989 to 2000 and ask whether these reforms improved the welfare of rural Chinese households measured by the share of calories from...

The aim of the paper is to determine the role of human capital quality of local authorities in the local socio-economic development. The research was carried out in Warmia and Mazury Province in 2008. A synthetic socio-economic development Hellwig index was calculated for all urban-rural and...

Authors define and explain the meaning of two concepts, namely human and social capital and their influence on the socio-economic progress in agriculture and rural areas. The presented studies and analyses point to the link between the growing role of these two factors and the general...

The role of endogenous factors of rural areas development has been discussed. The concept of cultural heritage, especially its spiritual and material character, has been referred to. The startup role of regions’ social capital and its use in the transition process has been underlined. The need...