ABSTRACT
There is an interesting puzzle, which casts light on the scope and limits of different types of social science to help IARCs in directing MV benefits to the poor. The puzzle is that, although theoretical arguments from economics alone (i) probably cannot show that small farmers in MV lead areas gain from MVs but (ii) strongly suggest that labourers do, there is (iii) growing (though often overstated) evidence and consensus that these small farmers gain significantly from MVs, while (iv) net gains to labourers from the processes involving MVs in their total socio-technical setting are getting less clear, and may in a few cases be turning negative [Smith et al., 1983; Smith and Gascon, 1979; Jayasuriya and Shand, 1986].
