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Even in the 21st century, agriculture is the major source of livelihood for majority of Indian population. But agricultural sector is under the big threat of economic reforms like liberalization and modernization of economy. The agrarian economy of Kerala could not exclude from the drastic hitting of the liberalization, privatization and globalization reforms; farmers of the state began to think that there is no other way to sustain their life. Cashewnut is one of the major cash crop became the victim of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG) reforms. The export of agricultural produce make it difficult to get a better price for cashewnut and so many diseases are also contributing in the crisis of this cultivation. The area under cashew cultivation has started coming down over the years and the decline in area and yield growth rate was responsible for the negative growth rate in production for cashewnut and the share of real components is negative for the overall growth of output of this crop compared to monetary components and unless there are concerted efforts by the government to create awareness among cashew growers on scientific cultivation methods, there will be a conversion of cashew plantations into rubber plantations.

This research examines the impact of flows and stocks of foreign investment on growth in Third World countries. Overall growth in GDP per capita and in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and com munications, and domestic trade are investigated. In addition to foreign investment, variables relating to domestic investment, population, and wealth are included in the analysis. The results indicate that stocks of foreign investment have a negative long-term effect on overall growth, while flows have a short-run positive effect. The variable with the single greatest impact on overall growth, however, is growth in domestic investment. The sectoral results indicate that foreign investment is positively related to growth in all sectors. The pattern of the findings, however, suggests that foreign investment has an initial disruptive effect on the economies of non-American underdeveloped states.

To fulfil their tasks, governments rely on public expenditures and taxes. Both influence the incentives and shape the decisions and actions of private economic agents. As governments resort to both instruments simultaneously, their combined theoretical impact on economic performance is a priori indeterminate. Clarification can only come from empirical evaluations. This paper reviews the recent literature trying to quantify the impact of fiscal policies on productivity and growth. Unfortunately, this survey shows that the empirical literature too is inconclusive: although the growth and composition of public expenditures and taxes as well as the fiscal stance seem to have some effect in the short run, their long-run implications cannot easily be quantified because of, e.g., reverse causation and crowding-out effects. The empirical evidence on the growth effects of government size points at a non-linear relationship: For small governments additional public expenditures seem to have a positive impact on growth, while for large governments further additions tend to be growth-retarding. It is an open question, however, where the optimum is located.

Since the late-1990s, over 25 U.S. shared-use vehicle programs—including carsharing and station cars—have been launched. Given their presumed social and environmental benefits, the majority of these programs received some governmental support—primarily in the form of startup grants and subsidized parking. As of July 2003, there were a total of 15 shared-use vehicle programs, including 11 carsharing organizations, two carsharing research pilots, and two station car programs. Over the last five years, U.S. carsharing membership has experienced exponential growth. Despite this expansion, the social and environmental impacts and long-term sustainability of these services remain unclear. As part of their U.S. shared-use vehicle survey (August 2002 to July 2003), the authors documented market growth/trends and limited, systematic evaluation of program impacts. While 80 percent of shared-use programs implement internal customer surveys (initial or follow-up), only a handful of independent studies have been conducted to date. Across organizations, participant use and program benefits are measured using a variety of study tools and metrics. Given current shared-use vehicle growth and the ongoing interest of policymakers and government agencies in this concept, the authors recommend a longitudinal monitoring approach to better understand market developments, social/environmental impacts, and targeted policy strategies. Furthermore, the authors conclude that coordinated, program-wide data collection (consistent survey instruments and performance measures) could enhance overall market awareness and the credibility of shared-use vehicle organizations in leveraging additional public support.

Since the late-1990s, over 25 U.S. shared-use vehicle programs—including carsharing and station cars—have been launched. Given their presumed social and environmental benefits, the majority of these programs received some governmental support—primarily in the form of startup grants and subsidized parking. As of July 2003, there were a total of 15 shared-use vehicle programs, including 11 carsharing organizations, two carsharing research pilots, and two station car programs. Over the last five years, U.S. carsharing membership has experienced exponential growth.Despite this expansion, the social and environmental impacts and long-term sustainability of these services remain unclear. As part of their U.S. shared-use vehicle survey (August 2002 to July 2003), the authors documented market growth/trends and limited, systematic evaluation of program impacts. While 80 percent of shared-use programs implement internal customer surveys (initial or follow-up), only a handful of independent studies have been conducted to date. Across organizations, participant use and program benefits are measured using a variety of study tools and metrics. Given current shared-use vehicle growth and the ongoing interest of policymakers and government agencies in this concept, the authors recommend a longitudinal monitoring approach to better understand market developments, social/environmental impacts, and targeted policy strategies. Furthermore, the authors conclude that coordinated, program-wide data collection (consistent survey instruments and performance measures) could enhance overall market awareness and the credibility of shared-use vehicle organizations in leveraging additional public support.

China is not merely growing at more than double the rate of the European countries during the Industrial Revolution, it is also urbanising at double the speed. Using a unique dataset of rural-to-urban migrants in 15 major Chinese cities, we give preliminary answers to some of the most pressing policy questions: how many migrants are there and what are their attributes? Are they dissatisfied or are their children doing worse than the children of others? Are they discriminated against in the labour market and, if so, what are the mechanisms via which this discrimination works and where are the market forces to undo the discrimination? ; Australian Research Council, AusAID, IZA, Ford Foundation