Agriculture, innovational ability, and dynamic comparative advantage of LDCs

Abstract

The goal of this paper is twofold: (1) to model a process of development based on the notion that the engine of growth is the generation of new ideas by skilled individuals, and (2) to explore the role of agricultural productivity growth in such a process. The key ingredients of our model are: preferences consistent with Engel's Law, and the asymmetry arising from there being a greater scope in industry than in agriculture for incremental innovation.

Keywords:

• Dynamic Comparative Advantage
• Engel's Law
• Agricultural Productivity