Originally published in 1990, in this study the authors have surveyed and anaylsed a large volume of difficult to access or unpublished papers and literature and it organised it into thirteen chapters. Subjects covered include introductory and concluding essays, development policy, agricultural performance, natural resources, the labor market, production, irrigation, marketing and credit of Ecuador's agricultural sector.

Originally published in 1990, in this study the authors have surveyed and anaylsed a large volume of difficult to access or unpublished papers and literature and it organised it into thirteen chapters. Subjects covered include introductory and concluding essays, development policy, agricultural performance, natural resources, the labor market, production, irrigation, marketing and credit of Ecuador's agricultural sector.

This book provides a probing examination of problems unique to the world's poorest countries as they attempt to achieve environmentally sound economic development. Using Ecuador as an example, the authors present six case studies that focus on tropical deforestation, farmland degradation, inefficient water resource development, oil industry pollution in Amazonian rainforests, disturbance of coastal ecosystems, and management of the Galapagos Islands. The authors argue throughout the book that fundamental policy reforms are needed both to meet the challenge of mounting resource scarcity and to achieve sustainable economic progress. They also make the case that resource users' property rights must be strengthened, market forces given freer reign, and investment stepped up in human capital and in the rural economy's scientific and technological base. Finally, the book provides support for the notion that economic development and environmental conservation can be complementary provided that intelligent policies are implemented. The book will be useful to development and resource economists, resource management specialists, and conservation professionals. These cases also offer valuable insights for environmentally concerned general readers.