Background:

Hetta Institute for International Development (HIID) is a USA-based professional educational corporation specializing in human capacity building. The Institute specializes in helping the mid and senior-level executives, particularly those from the developing countries, to upgrade their skills. HIID was founded in 2001 and registered with Arizona Corporation Commission, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.  Hetta Institute for International Development is also registered with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. HIID also partners with the Center for Executive Training and International Development (CETID), a professional training provider in sustainable development, registered and based in Manhattan, New York City, USA.  Since 2001, HIID has provided short term training courses to hundreds of high-ranking government and corporate officials.

Course Description:

Studies show that over 3.1 billion people live in rural areas in developing countries and about 25% of them live in abject poverty. Fortunately, there are many case studies of success stories of how governments have initiated agricultural policies to alleviate poverty in their communities. In this course, participants will learn more about the success stories of agricultural policies in many countries.

Course Learning Objectives:

The objective of this course is to identify the barriers to agricultural and rural development and what best practices in agricultural policies have been used to overcome the barriers.

Course Content:

The “Poverty alleviation: Analyzing the Role of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies in Developing Countries” course has some of the following key areas of learning:

Why Agricultural and Rural Development Policies?

  • Fundamental concepts of agricultural development and rural poverty
  • Theories of rural development
  • Rural and urban development, agriculture, and agribusiness
  • Agriculture in traditional economic development theories
  • The structural transformation
  • The conceptual framework of the policy formulation process

Assessing Agricultural Policies and their Impacts?

  • Policies affecting agricultural and food businesses
  • Pros and cons of food and agricultural policies in developed and developing countries
  • Role of government intervention in rural development

Food security issues in emerging economies:

  • Agricultural policies, monitoring, evaluation, and impact
  • Consumer food safety concerns
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Agricultural investment and productivity

Assessing Agricultural Policy Strategies for Rural Development in Developing and Developed Economies:

  • The relationship between GDP per capita and Agriculture
  • Today’s economic development theories
  • Major policy issues affecting the agricultural sector
  • Analyzing government policies for rural development
  • Agricultural production, consumption, and trade
  • Rationales for government interventions in rural development
  • Agricultural Production constraints
  • Research and technology

Managing the development and environmental impacts:

  • Climate-smart agriculture
  • Post-harvest management and technology
  • Public goods and externalities
  • Land use constraint issue
  • Soil conservation issue
  • Water and its use issue

What is the Proper Role of Government?

  • Market failures and need for government intervention
  • What agriculture can do for development?
  • Research and development
  • Agricultural and food policy environment
  • Business development and job creation policies in the agricultural sector
  • Providing institutions and infrastructure
  • Agriculture for development
  • Gender in Agriculture
  • Livestock and aquaculture enterprise
  • The significance of micro-finance institutions
  • Bank of Agriculture
  • Policy debate on foreign aids

Global Agricultural, Food and Trade Policies:

  • Subsistence Agriculture and extensive cultivation in Africa
  • Emerging vision of agriculture for development
  • Agricultural marketing
  • Developing-developed countries trade issues
  • Issues of globalization in Agriculture
  • Agro-industries: developed and developing country experiences
  • Export-Import institutions

Private Public Partnerships in Agricultural Development:

  • Agricultural subsidies: analysis of input and output subsidies
  • Rural development versus urban agriculture
  • Linking agriculture to national development policy

Best practices in agricultural policies for rural development:

  • National and regional policy integration
  • Case studies of successful rural development projects
  • Problem-solving exercises
  • Computer training with a brand new laptop to go home
  • Field trips

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
  • 1. Identify, describe, and analyze some of the policy issues affecting agricultural development in their countries.
  • 2. Develop appropriate agricultural policies to combat poverty in their community.
  • 3. Write a comprehensive evaluation and monitoring program report to the stakeholders.
  • 4. Enhance course participants’ skills in the better management of programs for private or government donors.

Learning Methodology:

The course is delivered in a workshop setting facilitated by seasoned professional facilitators with practical experience. Active participation is required and key to the success of the workshops. Other methods used in this course include case studies and problem-solving exercises. No tests or examinations will be taken by participants in this course. Assessment of participant’s performance will be measured through effective class participation, group presentation, group project, and class attendance. This course combines presentations, lectures, class discussions, group presentation, and problem-solving exercises.

Who should attend?

The course is intended for project development professionals and administrators in the development industry as well as anyone who has the responsibility for developing, designing and implementing development policies. Senior public officials, managing directors of private organizations, agricultural project managers, senior project consultants, heads of departments, supervisors, personnel officers, senior government staff, and other personnel as deemed appropriate by management.

Course Duration:

2 weeks

Training Locations and Scheduled Dates:

Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Jersey City,  New Jersey, USA: Mar 16-27; Jun 15-26; Aug 17-28, 2020 Washington DC, USA:

Course Fees:

The course fee is $4,800 USD for 2 weeks. The course fee covers the following: instruction, course materials, and one brand new laptop computer to take home (2-week course only), administration expenses, field trips, cultural programs,  and miscellaneous program-related expenses

How to Register:

To receive a letter of invitation and supporting documents, you must complete and forward the registration form to the training director as soon as possible. To participate in this course, the applicant must:
  • 1. Send a completed application form
  • 2. Have a bachelor’s degree/or have relevant work experience at senior management level
  • 3. Be nominated by the head of his/her department
  • 4. Be a senior member of the department/organization
  • 5. Demonstrate a devoted interest in the course
  • 6. Have proof of English proficiency
  • 7. Demonstrate proof of financial sponsorship of the course.