How is the economic inequality produced in rural Bhutan?

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23510313
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Nagoya University (2014-2015); Osaka University (2011-2013)
• Principal Investigator: Ueda Akiko 名古屋大学, 国際開発研究科, 准教授 (90467522)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 経済格差 / 農村 / ブータン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims at examining bow economic inequlity is created in rural areas in Bhutan. It focues on the movement of money, materials and labour as well as the terms of renting agricultural land.
The main findings of the study are firsly the terms of renting agricultural land is strikingly different between wet land (for paddy) and dry land (for grains other than paddy and vegetables). The tenants have to pay much more in the case of wet land, and thus this is one of the areas in which money (or harvest) moves from poorer farmers to better off farmers. Moreover, the poorer farmers return the borrowed rice and its interests by working for the rice lenders who are often bettwe off families in the community. This is identified as the second factor which leads to inequality.

Free Research Field

開発研究