International Food Policy Research Institute
sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty
Dr. Mellor will present a brief overview of the progress of Afghanistan’s development and the related phases of foreign aid. The basic strategy and near term priorities for accelerated growth that reduces poverty and poppies will be outlined. The current level of poppy production will be discussed to illustrate the size of the multipliers from large increases in farm income to employment and poverty reduction. In that context the implications of the continued high-level of rural poverty will be addressed. That discussion will show that for Afghanistan the optimal poppy substitution policy and the optimal growth policy are identical and that the effort will need a long term impact on high growth sub-sectors and a short-term emphasis on massive rural public works. The magnitudes of each will be outlined. The presentation will conclude with implications to the levels and form of foreign aid.
John W. Mellor is Vice-President of Abt Associates, a policy-consulting firm. Previously he was President of John Mellor Associates. He was Director of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 1977 to 1990; Chief Economist of USAID; and Professor at Cornell University – in Economics, Agricultural Economics, and Asian Studies.
Please RSVP to 202-862-8107 or Email: L.Goldberg@cgiar.org.