Rural Development in China

Scott A. Waldron, The senior author, is Research Officer at the School of Natural and Rural Systems Management at the University of Queensland, Australia.

• Contents: Introduction: The challenge of industry and rural development. Industry Dynamics: Market, household, enterprise and administrative reforms; Industry organisational structures and participants; Industry growth and segmentation; Emerging market structures and industry integration. Institutional Dynamics: Types of institutions; Horizontal government structure; Vertical hierarchy. Policy Dynamics: Production support: critique of a specific industry policy; Value adding and vertical integration; Market support systems; Poverty alleviation and environmental policies; Food safety and inspection. Conclusion: Forging industry and rural development in China; Bibliography; Index.

'Phenomenal growth in meat consumption propelled by dietary diversification is a critical structural change in developing countries over the past 20 years, especially in China. Few works explore the implications for rural development objectives. This book succeeds admirably for China's beef sector, integrating rich insights from industrial organization theory, models of institutional change, and analysis of policy reforms affecting human well-being. It will be of wide interest to analysts and practitioners of economic development, including those inside and outside the livestock sector that wish to understand the critical institutional issues involved in the rapid growth of a new rural industry.' Christopher L. Delgado, International Food Policy Research Institute, USA. 'There is much to think about in this book, and the use of a single industry...to address broader issues helps clarify the complexity of China's socialist economy as it currently operates...one of the strengths of this volume is its structure and internal organization.' China Review International