World Bank Agricultural Projects. Criticisms and Evolution. the Example of Niger.
Management of development projects – Exposé
Jessica Thomas
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Critical analysis of the program Growth Policy Reform Operation II to increase agricultural productivity in Niger.
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Why are there so many criticisms toward the World Bank’s liberalization policies and structural adjustments in agriculture and how the World Bank could answer to them.
The market liberalization focus of the World Bank programs has been criticized for several years. The general criticisms are that the Bank's initiatives are too heavily focused on improving access to markets and promote the expansion of high-input agriculture rather than a transition to more sustainable methods.
However, despite these criticisms, no powerful alternative model has been able to replace the liberal approach, therefore, questions remain: Do the criticisms of the World tend to simplify the situation or are they relevant? A second question arises; does the WB take into account these objections to transform its programs?
I will in a first part try to present the main arguments criticizing the World Bank programs on agriculture. In a second part, I chose to present a WB’s program supporting agricultural reforms in Niger, in order to see if there is really a tendency to promote only market-solutions because of liberal premises. In a third part, I will try to balance a critical analysis of the project, with the observation of the evolutions in WB’s programs toward more sustainable solutions.
I. Criticisms of the neoliberal approach of the World Bank’s programs for agriculture
We can identify three main types of criticisms toward the World Bank’s programs:
1. The focus on strengthening the private sector by opening markets could damage small farmers’ economic opportunities, as the most competitive actors will dominate.
Large corporations
Jessica Thomas
-------------------------------------------------
Critical analysis of the program Growth Policy Reform Operation II to increase agricultural productivity in Niger.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Why are there so many criticisms toward the World Bank’s liberalization policies and structural adjustments in agriculture and how the World Bank could answer to them.
The market liberalization focus of the World Bank programs has been criticized for several years. The general criticisms are that the Bank's initiatives are too heavily focused on improving access to markets and promote the expansion of high-input agriculture rather than a transition to more sustainable methods.
However, despite these criticisms, no powerful alternative model has been able to replace the liberal approach, therefore, questions remain: Do the criticisms of the World tend to simplify the situation or are they relevant? A second question arises; does the WB take into account these objections to transform its programs?
I will in a first part try to present the main arguments criticizing the World Bank programs on agriculture. In a second part, I chose to present a WB’s program supporting agricultural reforms in Niger, in order to see if there is really a tendency to promote only market-solutions because of liberal premises. In a third part, I will try to balance a critical analysis of the project, with the observation of the evolutions in WB’s programs toward more sustainable solutions.
I. Criticisms of the neoliberal approach of the World Bank’s programs for agriculture
We can identify three main types of criticisms toward the World Bank’s programs:
1. The focus on strengthening the private sector by opening markets could damage small farmers’ economic opportunities, as the most competitive actors will dominate.
Large corporations