"This paper uses an asset-base framework to analyze the determinants of rural growth and sustainable poverty reduction for the three poorest countries in Central America: Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua...Using a combination of GIS mapping techniques, quantitative household analysis, and...

Semi-parametric density reweighting techniques are used to examine sources of change in well-being in Zimbabwe during the first-half of the 1990s. Changes in urban well-being are decomposed into changes in employment propensities, changes in human capital attainment and changes in the structure...

The portfolio variance has gained popularity as a tool to evaluate alternative strategies that promote regional economic stability. As it is commonly applied, however, the portfolio variance has several problems that limit its appropriateness for regional economic analysis. There are several...

Decomposition of an extended input-output model can provide insights into the relationship between a region's changing economic structure and its performance. Standard decomposition techniques are augmented and adapted to generate a conceptual framework for identifying potential sources of...

The determinants of the provision of health benefits to full-time farm workers in Virginia are investigated using farm-level data. Health benefits are associated with higher wages on Virginia farms, while the provision of housing tends to lower wages. Agricultural employers must compete with...

The article examines changes in poverty and sources of change in Zimbabwe between 1990 and 1996. Comparable national survey data are used for both periods. Findings indicate that levels of wellbeing and poverty worsened during the period, although there is some evidence that inequality is lower...

Practitioners from different disciplines use different meanings and concepts of vulnerability, which, in turn, have led to diverse methods of measuring it. This paper presents a selective review of the literature from several disciplines to examine how they define and measure vulnerability. The...

The objectives of this paper are to highlight some of the potential and limitations of microinsurance in the context of Social Risk Management (SRM) framework to stimulate further discussion. The paper draws on existing literature on SRM and microinsurance. Where relevant, it invokes lessons...