Seasonality and Agriculture in the Developing World : A Problem of the Poor and the Powerless

Recent years have seen a strong interest in the problem of seasonal variation in employment, income, nutrition and sickness in rural areas of the Third World.

In general the poorer and more powerless people are, the more they tend to suffer during the season of hunger and sickness.

This book takes an overall view of the seasonality problem.

The first three chapters consider the importance of seasonality, explore its climatic and social roots and examine the evidence as to its impact on the disadvantaged.

Ways in which environmental diversity can modify the effects of seasonality are then discussed, also how societies have traditionally used such diversity for countering the challenge of seasonality.

Special problems of developing countries in meeting this challenge are considered.

The author is at present a programme leader for Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development in Kathmandu, Nepal.

He is, therefore, very well qualified to give a concise and up-to-date account of the problems of seasonality and agriculture in the developing world.

It is a book that will be of interest to all disciplines in agricultural and related research in developing countries.