ABSTRACT
THIS CHAPTER 1 Discusses the role of human resources in agricultural and economic
development 2 Examines differences in family structure and gender roles in farm
households in developing countries 3 Considers determinants of gender roles in farm households
Poor agricultural households in developing countries generally have few assets. Some own small parcels of land, but all households have human assets. The productivity of human assets helps determine prospects for accumulation of other assets and increased income over time. Productivity of labor can be improved through investments in education, health care, nutrition, and acquisition of skills. Decisions about investments in education, how household labor is deployed, and about the size and structure of families are made by families. These decisions depend on policy-based and other incentive structures, cultural norms, and gender roles; such decisions have major impacts on
productivity, asset accumulation, and household well-being. In some societies, for example, girls are less likely to attend school than are boys; in others, women are less likely to receive health care and have shorter life expectancies than do men. We examine the role and determinants of investments in education, how human resources affect household well-being, and the roles of men, women, and children in making decisions and participating in household activities.
