Chief Guest:

• H.E. Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States of America (Video)

Speakers:

• David Spielman, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI (Presentation | Video)

Discussant:

• Reehana Raza, Research Associate, Overseas Development Institute (Video)

Moderator:

• Paul Dorosh, Division Director, Development Strategy and Governance (DSG), IFPRI (Video)
• Q&A Video

Agriculture has been central to Pakistan’s economic growth and development since independence. But agricultural growth has slowed in recent years, averaging just 2.8 percent between 2010 and 2014. Will the country’s agricultural sector and the wider rural economy play a significant role in future growth and development? Will agriculture contribute to poverty reduction and human development? Are current agricultural policies and investments appropriate for Pakistan’s changing economy and landscape?

To answer these questions, this policy seminar drew on recent work on Pakistan’s agricultural sector and rural economy. Chief Guest, H.E. Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States of America, and discussants will explore specific measures to promote agricultural productivity growth and broader socioeconomic development—for example, investments to improve the Indus River basin irrigation system; policy and regulatory reforms to strengthen markets for agricultural inputs and commodities; and improvements in the provision of rural public services for health, education, women’s empowerment, and community development.

This seminar shared highlights from the new IFPRI volume Agriculture and the Rural Economy in Pakistan: Issues, Outlooks and Policy Priorities. The discussion will be followed by a Q & A.