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INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

RURAL DEVELOPMENT (ICARD)

(CAAS-IFPRI)

Brief Introduction of  ICARD 

MANDATE  

The International Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (ICARD) has been created to undertake research on development policy and strategy issues that affect agricultural and rural productivity growth and rural poverty reduction in China and other developing countries. The center is jointly sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the International Food Policy Research Institute, and has its headquarters at the Institute of Agricultural Economics at CAAS in Beijing.

BACKGROUND  

China has made tremendous progress in the past 20 years in economic growth and poverty reduction.  By 2002, per capita GDP had reached US$4,400 (measured in purchasing power parity), and the official poverty rate had declined to less than 3% of the population.  Various development indicators such as the literacy rate, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and the percentage of malnourished children have now reached or even surpassed the levels of many middle-income countries. Given the size of China, these developments represent one of the most significant development achievements of the world during the 20^th century.  But as China enters the new Millennium, important social challenges remain in rural areas. These include:

Ø       Although most farmers now live above the official poverty line, their per capita incomes remain low.  If the one-dollar per day poverty line (measured in purchasing power parity) is used, China still has more than 100 million rural poor people who do not have enough income to support a productive, healthy and secure life style. 

Ø       Rural-urban inequality also remains a problem. The per capita income of rural residents was only one third of their urban counterparts in 2002, down from 59% back in 1983.

Ø       Inter-regional inequality has also worsened. Per capita GDP in western China is now less than half of the Coastal areas.  In 2002, per capita GDP in Shanghai was 9 times higher than Guizhou. A worsening income distribution will not only make further  poverty reduction more difficult, but could also constrain future economic growth.

Ø       Rapid economic and agricultural growth has led to degradation of many natural resources and to pollution of the environment. These problems in turn have generated negative social externalities, such as ill health and loss of biodiversity, which may also affect long-term growth in the future.

China has increasingly integrated its economy into the global economy in recent years. The country has joined the WTO, and this trend will continue. As the Chinese economy continues to grow and trade, and as per capita incomes rise, China will play an increasingly important role in global affairs. Amongst other things, China can be expected to provide larger amounts of international development and humanity aid to less successful countries in Asia and Africa. This in turn will require policy decisions about how best to use these resources to contribute to greater economic growth and poverty reduction in the recipient countries.

RESEARCH AREAS

ICARD will undertake research on the following issues:

1. Agricultural Science and Technology Policy

2. Rural Investment Policy

3. Rural Organization and Governance

4. Development Policies and Investment Strategies for Poor Regions

5. Sustainable Use of Natural Resources

6. International Comparison of Development and Reform Experiences

7. Globalization and Rural Development

CENTER ORGANIZATION

ICARD will be an open and flexible international, non-profit center and all outputs, including data and publications, will be publicly available.  Shenggen Fan is the founding director.

Address: 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P.R. China

Phone: 62120915 ,62120916, 62120917     Fax: 62120915    E-mail: s.fan@cgiar.org